Captain Hot Stuff
by Winekita
Summary: Pirate AU. Leo Valdez, pirate extraordinaire and apparent flirty single man, is the captain of the infamous Argo II, the most dangerous ship in the seven seas. Though, as Calypso, a princess-turned-hostage, learns, the tales of his amazingness may be a bit skewed…T because no pirate story in this fandom would ever be K . Cover by the amazing K-ym. COMPLETE!
1. The Princess,the Commodore,& the Pirates

**_Blame Radycat on Tumblr and K-ym on Deviantart for this. I got inspired by Radycat's pirate AU of Pipeyna and Leason, and REALLY wanted to put a story to K-ym's AWESOME picture 'They Call Me Captain Hot Stuff' (check it out 'cause it's awesome and smexy and *faints*)_**

**_Also, the idea for Nico in this story is also credited to K-ym, because she drew another pic of him as a pirate escaping Percy's grasp. So, that is why Percy is in the navy here as well. Credit for that idea goes to K-ym. It won't be Nicercy, though, as I have a feeling that was what she was implying…? These are canon pairings here. Slight Percabeth, a hint of Solangelo, Frazel, and heavy Caleo._**

**_Anyway, I think the idea of Leo the pirate is one of the sexiest ideas ever, but even though the picture has him really hot, I have decided to keep to Rick's original scrawny Leo image (sorry, K-ym). For humor and Caleo bonding sake, of course xD_**

**_This was SUPPOSED to be a really big one-shot, but I got too inspired. Now it's a three-shot! Ha ha!_**

**_So, here we go!_**

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**_*~Captain Hot Stuff~*_**

_Part One_

_The Princess, the Commodore, and the Pirates_

Calypso twirled a bit of her caramel hair in between her fingers. She was bored out of her mind. As one of the king's daughter, this was not an uncommon occurrence. Normally she'd find better things to do, like tending to the palace gardens or shopping in the town square.

She couldn't do that here—on a gods-forsaken _ship_. There was literally nothing to do except stare at the never-ending sea and bother the deckhands. Bothering the captain wasn't really a smart thing to do, since he was a high-ranked official in her kingdom's navy.

"Madam, is there something wrong?"

Calypso turned to see the very man she wanted to _not_ bother staring right at her. His name was Perseus 'Percy' Jackson, the commodore of King Atlas' navy. As far as looks go, he was really handsome, with wind-blown black hair, sea green eyes, and tan skin. He'd set Calypso's heart into a dance when he first spoke to her a few years ago, his voice smooth and deep. Unfortunately, he was already infatuated with another naval officer, Captain Annabeth Chase.

Since she'd learned that information, Calypso had not taken so much as a second glance at the commodore. He was just the naval escort. Nothing else.

Calypso shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, Commodore," she answered. "I'm just…trying to think of something to do…"

Percy chuckled. "I hear you. Months at sea can drive a person insane. I can't imagine having to travel the sea for months in anticipation for an arranged marriage."

Calypso didn't like that subject. She was the youngest of King Atlas' daughters, and she was traversing the stupid ocean to marry some pompous prince she'd never met. It was some sort of political marriage or some schist. Since she was the youngest, the kingdom could afford to send her away like some cow.

Calypso glared at the commodore. "You don't have to bring _that_ up."

He shrugged. "Trying to strike up conversation…"

"Try with someone else," she spat. "How long until we reach our destination?"

"You keep asking every day, as if I can make this boat go any faster." He chuckled again. "I may be blessed with the luck of having favorable winds, but I can't control my ship nor can I make the men row faster."

Calypso rolled her eyes. "They might be inclined to go faster should they think pirates are chasing us."

"Don't jinx it," he scolded. "Pirates are no joking matter. Before I had to escort you, I'd run into the Ghost King, Captain Nico di Angelo. Twice! He'd barely escaped me last time, and next time I _will_ get him. I don't want you on board when that happens."

The Ghost King was a mysterious pirate captain. His ship was known to be constantly shrouded in fog, and it was rare someone survived an encounter with him. At present, only Commodore Jackson and Captain Chase could retaliate or use their wits to escape. It was rumored that a privateer by the name of William Solace could also get close, but there was no such proof yet.

"I'd love a little excitement," Calypso muttered.

"'A little excitement' is not a happy wish," Percy warned. "There are others besides the Ghost King out there. Others who would rob you blind, kill you, or worse."

"What is worse than killing?"

"Becoming a personal whore, a sex slave for the ship, a prisoner, torture," he listed. "Among other things."

Calypso waved him off. "I highly doubt that. If anything, I'm sure I'd be a ransom. Anyone who saw me would know my father has enough money to make my captors richer than they'd ever dream."

Percy's eyebrows rose. "A little cocky, aren't we?"

"Just stirring up conversation," she said with a grin.

When she turned to the aft end of the ship, she noticed something unusual. A stack of smoke was rising from a single point in the distance. Was something on fire out there?

"Commodore," she said. "What is that?"

Percy came up next to her and squinted. "What is what?"

She pointed to the smoke, which now seemed to be getting closer. "I think someone's ship is burning. They might be in trouble."

The officer took out his spyglass. Within seconds, he blanched. He turned to the crew and yelled, "All hands! Battle stations! Prepare for attack!"

Suddenly the whole upper deck was teeming with scrambling sailors. Many were loading the cannons, some handed out rifles and hand guns. One sailor, a burly man by the name of Frank Zhang, began herding Calypso away.

"My lady," he said. "It's not safe up here. You must go to the lower deck."

"Why?" she protested. "What's going on?"

"You wanted excitement," Percy yelled. "Well, you got it!"

"The Ghost King is actually attacking?"

Frank shook his head. "Worse."

_Worse?! Who's worse than Captain di Angelo?_

Before heading below deck, Calypso stole a glance behind her. The smoke stack was now hovering above a dark splotch. She didn't understand how a ship could be on fire yet move so fast.

Within minutes, Frank had stuffed Calypso into a roomy broom closet. "Don't get out," he ordered. "I'm going to lock the door and then guard your room as a decoy. It's filled with treasure, so that should distract the pirates from searching the ship for hostages. That's _if_ they don't destroy it…"

Calypso felt the blood drain from her face as Frank locked her in. She kept the light off, fearing someone might discover her.

_BOOM!_

The entire ship shook and Calypso went tumbling. A mop fell on her head and she groaned. Another boom made the ship vibrate, and screams echoed from above. Feet pounded. Guns fired. Cannons thundered. The most disturbing sound was the laughter. Men were having fun up there, and Calypso suspected it wasn't Percy's men.

She sat in the corner, hugging her knees to her chest. She didn't seem so thrilled about this whole pirate idea now. Percy's words echoed in her mind: _Personal whore, sex slave, tortured prisoner…_

People thundered down her hall. Calypso heard Frank yell out in defiance. Steel clashed. In a few seconds, she heard someone fall to the ground—most likey, it was Frank.

"Put him up with the others," came a gruff male voice.

A body was dragged up the stairs as the pirates kicked Calypso's room door down. They screamed in ecstasy upon seeing the treasure—Calypso's dowry—in the room.

"Hoo boy!" yelled one. "Take a look at all this gold!"

"An' the jewels!" howled another that sounded almost identical to the first.

The gruff voice from before said, "Get as much as you can. I'll search around."

"For more treasure?" the two akin voices asked.

"For the owner. I don't imagine Commodore Jackson had all these dresses for his own personal use, and I didn't see Captain Chase anywhere above deck. There's gotta be a rich lady aboard."

Footsteps echoed. The brothers (at least, that's what Calypso assumed the two alike voices were) kept making trips up and down the stairs with Calypso's dowry. She tried not to breathe at each approaching step.

Then, a shadow fell on the floor in front of her closet door. The princess's eyes widened. The handle jiggled, but the door didn't open.

"Ah," the gruff voice sighed. "What _ever_ shall I do? A locked door…too bad I'm not a locksmith…"

His footsteps walked away. Calypso held her breath. After a moment, she let it out in relief.

Then, the door imploded. It crashed to the ground, barely missing her as she yelped and pressed up against the wall. Light flooded the room and three figures looked into the broom closet.

Two of them were definitely twins, adorned in pearl necklaces and golden earrings, bracelets, rings and various pieces of jewelry stolen from Calypso's room. They both had scruffy brown hair, smirking like they had told a joke.

The third was a burly guy with a wide chest, dirty blonde hair and dark eyes. He and the twins were all dressed in a mix of traditional pirate wear and bronze armor. The burly guy had goggles on his head and a bandage over his nose.

"Why hello, there, Madame," the guy said with a sly grin. "What could you be doing in such a dirty place? You seem like the kind of gal that should be bunking in the royal suite down the hall."

The twins snickered.

Calypso steeled herself and tried to look brave. "So, what now?" she asked. "You kill me?"

The burly guy shook his head. "Nah. We'll just bring you above deck for our first mate to examine. Levesque will want to get a good look at you and see if you're worth the trouble of a ransom."

"Judging by the goods in her room," said one twin.

"Her family's gotta be loaded," finished the other.

The guy heaved Calypso to her feet and forcefully dragged her up the stairs. Once above deck, she assessed what had happened quickly.

Next to Commodore Jackson's ship was a huge black and bronze monstrosity that looked an awful lot like a ship. Where the mast should be was a huge smoke chimney made of metal, billowing smoke and blocking out the sun. Painted on the stack was a flaming skull and crossbones. On the bow was a large dragon head that seemed to be made of bronze, with ruby eyes. Black oars, numbering maybe two hundred or more, lined the bottom. Painted on the side of the ship thing were the words **_ARGO II_**.

All figures standing on the deck were pirates. Each of them had random bits of armor on them—some on the shins, some on the wrists, some over the chest or thighs—most of the burlier pirates, like the one who had found Calypso, wore goggles. Some of them were bandaged and covered in soot. They all wore trinkets like golden bronze chains or gears strung into their fabric.

Percy's men (as well as the commodore himself) were tied to the masts, mostly unconscious.

Calypso was shoved over towards Percy and tied next to him. The commodore was knocked out, but Frank (who had a welt the size of a small country on his head) was awake and looking quite defeated.

"Sorry, princess," he mumbled as she tried to escape her bonds. "I thought that would work."

"Not your fault," she whispered. "These guys were just too smart."

"I should have known they'd figure it out…They _are_ the Hephaestus pirates, after all."

_Hephaestus pirates?_ Calypso remembered a story of a dreaded pirate from a few decades ago, a bit before she was born. He was feared for his traps and grumpy nature. He'd been hanged the year before Calypso's birth.

"This can't be them," she whispered. "Captain Hephaestus died years ago."

"But his legacy lives on," Percy groaned. "The original _Argo_ was sunk when they captured Hephaestus. Recently, around the start of my career, they resurfaced under the command of one of Hephaestus's sons, Charles Beckendorf. He died in an explosion a few years ago."

"Then who is the captain now?" she asked.

"Captain Leo Valdez," Frank answered. "He pretty much single-handedly built that damn ship you see over there. The dragon masthead was one of Beckendorf's creations, though."

_Valdez…_Calypso _had_ heard some sort of story about him. It was mostly gossip from the girls at parties, saying he was some flirtatious pirate who would do anything for some company. He was described as a hottie, though, so it should fit his attitude.

"What's up with the whispers over here?"

All three looked up. Coming toward the prisoners was a slim black woman with cinnamon-colored hair and large, beautiful golden eyes. Her hair was held back via red bandana, and she had golden bangle earrings. Gold makeup lined her eyes. Everything else about her resembled the other pirates' outfits, with gold armor pieces instead of bronze or steel.

_Gold fetish, much?_ Calypso thought.

The woman kneeled down and smiled. "Hello, there, _Commodore_," she said.

Percy sneered. "Hazel Levesque. I should have known you'd lead this operation. Where's Valdez?"

"Playing with fire," she answered smoothly.

"I hope he burns," he spat.

Hazel pouted. "He wouldn't like to hear you say that. You know he actually appreciates your sense of humor."

Then, she turned to Frank. Her gaze twinkled a bit, but not in an evil sort of way. "New guy?"

"Frank Zhang," the commodore said. "Leave him alone, Hazel."

The woman smiled at Frank and winked. She snapped and some pirates untied Frank from the mast. They kept him restrained as they dragged him unwillingly towards the monstrosity ship. He went aboard and was shoved below decks.

Hazel giggled. "I want to see how useful he'll be," she said. "Something just clicked about him and I'd like to see what he's like." Then, she turned to Calypso. "And you would be…"

"Calypso, daughter of Atlas."

"_King_ Atlas?" Hazel shouted. "Well isn't that a fun surprise! I guess you chose your escort poorly."

Percy grumbled inaudibly.

"In fact," Hazel said. "Why don't _we_ escort you? I'm sure your father will be so grateful that he'll pay us _handsomely_ for our troubles!"

The twins from before untied Calypso and shoved her away. She heard Percy calling, "No! Hazel, don't do this! Return her immediately! You can keep the dowry, but let us keep the princess!"

Hazel smiled and took Calypso's arm. Surprisingly, the pirate was very gentle. "Nah," she said. "I think we'll take both." She led the princess up the gangplank to the _Argo II_. "Come on, guys," she called. "Let's go! Leave the commodore to go tell the King of the change in escort!"

The pirates laughed and followed the first mate up with the treasure. The last of them lifted the gangplank.

Percy and the sailors were still struggling against the masts. The _Argo_ lurched forward and the smoke billowed out stronger than before. Within seconds, the ship had passed Percy's boat and was leaving it in the bubbles.

Calypso barely heard Percy scream, "You'll get what's comin' for you, Valdez! Once I get free, I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth to get the princess back!"

Hazel giggled. "He's such a windbag. Not as big a windbag as the Grace siblings, though. Those two make for some interesting combat when we cross their path."

Calypso knew about the Grace siblings, Jason and Thalia. Each of them commanded a great ship in the navy. Thalia was known to be a wild card, but around her brother she was even more amazing.

"Now," Hazel said, leading Calypso toward the smokestack in the middle of the ship. "I suppose you should meet our captain, dear."

Calypso tried to keep a brave face, but she wasn't feeling too confident. She was now on a pirate ship that moved without the wind's help, surrounded by men and women that looked far stronger than even Frank.

"It's okay," Hazel said, smiling. "We won't hurt you. And neither will our captain. As feared as he is, he's actually a pretty fun guy."

Calypso didn't give her an answer, she just kept staring straight ahead as the smokestack loomed in front of her. Hazel nudged her. "C'mon, sweetie. We honestly won't hurt you."

_Says the pirate who kidnapped myself and a good sailor for her own personal amusement._

Hazel opened a door in the side of the chimney. Inside was a spiral staircase that wrapped around a glass tube leading straight up and down. The tube was filled with black smoke.

"Captain's quarters are down there," Hazel informed her as she led the princess inside. Calypso had feared it would smell, but the air was actually clean. "He likes being near the engine, even though it's a bit of a walk to get up or down."

"Engine?"

"So she _does_ talk," Hazel said with a grin. "Yes. That's what the cap calls it. I don't understand half of what he says from time to time. You just learn to trust what he's doing."

Calypso wondered what an engine was. Maybe it was like the heart of the ship? Seeing as how they were going down, it wasn't impossible.

Once on the final step, Calypso examined a room as long as the ship. Near the stack was a large metal…_thing_…that hummed and whirred. Tubes whirled horizontally and…Calypso didn't know what was going on. It looked like candles going out and relighting at fast speeds.

Splayed around the room were weapons and gadgets and doodads that looked so odd, yet seemed to belong on a ship.

"Yo, Captain!" Hazel called. "Got somethin' for ya!"

A _conk_ sounded from the _thing_. "Ow!" a voice squeaked. "Hazel, what'd you do that for? You scared me!"

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Were you sleeping again?"

"Pulled an all-nighter," the voice said, muffled slightly. From underneath the _thing_ two legs appeared, followed closely by a butt and lower back. "When sleep calls, it calls hard!"

_This is it_, Calypso thought. _I'm about to meet the man who's worse than Captain Ghost King di Angelo. The hot, flirtatious man who will do anything to get a companion. The—_

The _scrawniest_ young man stood up and brushed off his pants. He was absolutely covered in grime. His curly black hair was shiny from oil, and his clothes were wrinkly. He wasn't wearing any shoes, but Calypso did see a pair of boots nearby. His eyes were hidden because he was wearing goggles that reminded Calypso of a blacksmith's eye protection, only wider in the lens.

He was terribly skinny, and Calypso had a hard time believing this man built a ship—no, built _anything_. He didn't even look that handsome! His face was round and youthful, with impish features like a slightly turned-up nose and pointed ears, from which a few earrings dangled down.

He grinned, which only made Calypso think of an imp more. "Hello~!" he sang. "Welcome to my humble ship, my dear lady! The name's Captain Leo Valdez of the _Argo II_, leader of the Hephaestus pirates." He took her hand in his grimy one, getting oil all over her fingers. He kissed the top of it as he bowed politely. "But you may call me Captain Hot Stuff."

Calypso grimaced and removed her hand. "I'd rather not."

Leo straightened up and wiggled his eyebrows, which looked weird with goggles on. "So what brings you aboard my vessel? Want to join my scurvy crew, yarr?"

He said that last bit like he was trying to be funny. Calypso kind of wanted to laugh, but held it in. Leo pouted. "Not even a smirk?" he complained. "Girl, I'll make you smile. It will be my mission."

Then, he turned to Hazel. "So, really, what's with the new girl?"

Hazel spoke in a hushed voice near Leo's ear. Leo grinned. "Well, well! Royalty? Our biggest haul yet! Way to go, Haze. You get best choice of treasure."

Hazel smiled sheepishly. "I've already got a claim on something in the brig."

"Another one?" Leo asked incredulously. "New people all around! Give me the details later on how you will woo this guy. I hope he sticks and doesn't leave you like poor Sammy—may he rest in peace."

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Shuddup," she hissed.

Calypso tried not to show how disgusted she was. Did this woman honestly believe Frank would fall for her? Sure, she was beautiful—almost flawless—but she didn't seem like the type the navy sailor would go for, even _if_ Calypso didn't know Frank that well.

Leo cleared his throat. "Okay, so, _princesa_, here's the situation: You've just been taken aboard the _Argo II_ and are now a hostage for the Hephaestus pirates. I'll send a message to your father soon of your predicament and see if we can come to some sort of arrangement. After all, escorting royalty home isn't a cheap endeavor."

Hazel and Leo both chuckled. Calypso scowled.

"Anyway," the captain continued. "We may be rough-housers, but we ain't savages. I'm not gonna lock you in the brig until I get money. You are free to roam around the ship. I just ask that you stay on board with a guard whenever we make a port call. Can't have you givin' us the slip, can we?"

Calypso exhaled, but didn't give him an answer.

"You'll be staying with my awesome friend, Piper. She was once a hostage like you, royalty and all that junk, but she yearned for adventure and decided to stay. She's got these awesome powers of persuasion, so watch out—she might talk you out of wearing shoes for a week!"

_Great…_

"Really?" Leo asked. "Not a tiny smile? Pipes isn't that bad."

Calypso finally decided to speak, seeing as how offending this bozo might not be so bad. "Listen here, you dirty, skinny little elf," she spat. "I am still royalty, even on this gods-forsaken _monstrosity_! I won't be treated like some ragdoll, nor will I be your personal whore! I'll stay with this Piper, but only because she sounds better than staying with _her_." She pointed to Hazel, who immediately complained. "My father will pay you any sum you desire, but it won't amount to how much enjoyment I'll get when he captures you and makes you dangle from the gallows."

Leo had a great poker face. He didn't flinch at the threat at all. He smirked. "You're kinda cute when you're angry," he noted.

Calypso huffed in annoyance. "You are so incredibly stupid! You picked the wrong princess to capture!"

The captain shrugged. "We'll see. In the meantime, how about you go meet your new bunkmate? And get some new clothes; don't wanna dirty up your cute dress, Sunshine."

"Don't order me around!" she spat. "And _don't_ call me Sunshine!"

"It was a suggestion," he said calmly, like nothing affected him. That just made Calypso even madder. "And I can definitely tell you like me," he added with another weird eyebrow wiggle.

"I hate you!" Calypso screamed. "How could I ever like such a scrawny, dirty, _disgusting_ imp like you!? You pompous, rude, intolerable elf!"

She stormed away, Hazel following close behind to help show her to her quarters. The captain stayed behind, smiling.

"Definitely on Team Leo," he muttered. "I think I'm in love…"

* * *

**_A/N: Here's a few explanations to my choices:_**

**_Leo is a captain, so he's gonna act a little high-and-mighty, more so than his Supreme Commander-ness in canon world._**

**_Calypso is a princess, so she's gonna be a little high strung and spoiled. She'll get better, don't worry. It's a predictable plot, of course she's gonna be nicer later! xD_**

**_Don't judge me about this predictable plot, okay? I love stories like this, even if I can totally guess the ending. I'll at least add some humor so it won't be so cut-and-dry!_**

**_This world isn't ours, but the time is kind of like before Edison. So, electricity and steam power and anything that moves on its own is unknown to them, except for the Hephaestus pirates._**

**_Yes, Percy and Annabeth, as well as the Grace siblings, Reyna, Octavian, and Frank, are Navy. Roll with it._**

**_Pirates (just as a reminder and future reference):_**

**_Leo, Nico, Hazel, the Stoll brothers (in case you didn't get their cameo), all the Hephaestus cabin people including Harley, Clarisse La Rue, Chris Rodriguez, many Hermes cabin members, Dakota...I think that's it for now._**


	2. The Friend, the Bet, & the Drunk

_**Okay, I lied. This is definitely NOT going to be a three-shot. I can't stand having a chapter over 6-7k words and this one is getting awfully close to 6k (not counting the A/Ns). So, you guys get to enjoy a longer story! Yay!**_

_**Phew, is this getting intense already...You'll see what I mean.**_

_**Please remember that the characters are all at least 21 and older. I'm not going to be specific with ages, but just wanted to let you know that bit of info.**_

_**On with the show! :D**_

_**EDIT ON A MAJOR SCALE: So, I totes forgot I wrote one thing and then wrote something else...xD my bad. I'll mention it at the bottom...**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

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**_*~Captain Hot Stuff~*_**

_Part Two_

_The Friend, the Bet, and the Drunk_

As it turns out, Calypso knew Piper. She just made it seem like she didn't.

Calypso had known Piper since she was very small. She was the illegitimate daughter of Queen Aphrodite of the neighboring kingdom. Her father was a famous performer that traveled the world. Piper herself usually traveled with him, but sometimes she stayed with the queen. On those occasions, King Atlas allowed Calypso and her sisters to journey to the next kingdom to keep Piper company.

Piper was headstrong and adventurous, so when she had disappeared a little over a year ago, Calypso had thought she'd gone and started her own performance group. She was, after all, very flexible and quite the acrobat, as well as an amazing singer. If she had joined a band of pirates, it wasn't that farfetched to believe.

While Hazel led Calypso over to a hall, she said, "This is just one of our berthing levels. We've got two more. Except for myself, the helmsman, and the captain, there's usually a rule of two or three to a room."

"You each have a room?" Calypso asked incredulously. "As a guest of the commodore I had my own room, but I've seen many ships where the sailors all sleep in one area."

"Yes, but those ships don't have multiple levels," Hazel said. "This ship is quite large."

"It is," the princess conceded. "At least twice the size of the commodore's ship, and seems to be built from metal. How does it float?"

Hazel shrugged. "That involves a complicated explanation from either the captain or one of the blacksmiths aboard. I'm not very...fluent in that language they speak."

"How many blacksmiths are on the ship?"

"Over half of the crew were once blacksmiths. Some were a part of Hephaestus' original crew. You've met one already."

"I have?"

"Jake Mason. He was with the Stoll brothers. They're the ones that found you."

_Jake Mason. I'll have to remember that so I can tell my father who exactly handled me so roughly. Stoll brothers, though...oh, yes, I remember now._

"Aren't the Stoll brothers famous thieves from Mercurina?" Calypso asked.

Hazel smiled. "Yes, they are. We ran across a prison ship a few months back. We freed them, along with some other people. The Stolls are the only ones who decided to stay aboard once we made port."

"Fantastic. As if pirates weren't bad enough, now I know I'm bunking with a bunch of thieves."

Hazel frowned. "We actually aren't that bad," she defended. "We don't go around killing people left and right, nor do we rob _every_ ship we see. We pick and choose, and many times we stay out of trouble."

Then, she stopped. "Also, you said you'd rather stay with Piper than with me. You don't know Piper, yet you'd judge she'd be a better roommate than me?"

Calypso looked down.

"Do I leave that bad of an impression?" Hazel asked.

"Kind of, yes," Calypso admitted. "It helps if you don't take a man hostage just for your personal amusement."

Hazel giggled. "Gotta keep up appearances. I won't do anything to Frank. Leo says I'm too sweet, and he's right. That was more of a recruiting move. Many of us were taken 'prisoner', when really it's more of a trial period. We give others a chance to see what it's like here. If they don't like it, they can leave at next port call."

"But I can't," Calypso growled.

"I never said you were getting a trial period," Hazel said with a smile. "But you never know; perhaps you may like it here."

"That will never happen."

Hazel shrugged and gestured to a medium-sized door. "Here we are. Your room. Piper should be in there, sleeping. She and Leo are pretty much on the same sleep schedule. It's weird."

_Piper is weird,_ Calypso thought to herself. She gave one last nod to Hazel. The first mate smiled and left, calling over her shoulder, "Lunch's at 1300. Pipes'll show you to the galley later."

Calypso huffed and opened the door.

The room inside was littered with costumes, pieces of armor, and gears. Calypso was afraid to step anywhere, for fear of hurting her feet.

Across the room lay two sizable beds. They weren't bunk beds, but the way they were built suggested they could interlock on top of each other to make room. One of the beds was empty, the other occupied.

The occupant was a beautiful young woman with red-tan skin (tanner than the captain's) choppy brown hair braided with feathers, and a single oversized shirt covering her body. She was sleeping, drooling onto her pillow.

Calypso sighed and walked over, avoiding the hazardous metal things on the floor. She went right up to Piper's bed, took a spare pillow, and dropped it harshly on her head.

Piper sputtered. "I'm up!" she screeched. "Gimme a minute, Hazel!"

She lifted the pillow and locked gazes with Calypso. Her kaleidoscope irises shimmered in surprise. "Calypso?" she muttered. "Is that you?"

The princess nodded and smiled. "Nice to see you haven't started a performing circus troupe."

"Is that what they think I did?"

They both smiled and giggled. Then, they hugged. "I'm glad to see you," Calypso said. "One friendly face in this terrible place is like heaven to me!"

"Terrible?" Piper asked, breaking away. "The _Argo II_ isn't terrible. Everyone here is like a family. We all look out for each other and have tons of fun! What's so terrible?"

"They kidnapped me!" Calypso complained. "It stinks here, it's messy, the crew is rough, and your captain is awful—"

"What's wrong with Leo?"

Calypso massaged her brow. "I don't want to talk about that impish boy."

"You do realize he's our age, right?" Piper moved to the wardrobe and pulled out an outfit similar to Hazel's, handing it to Calypso.

Calypso stripped and put on the weird clothing. Wearing pants was an odd feeling, yet strangely freeing. "Wouldn't have guessed. He looks and acts like a child."

"It's his metabolism or something. He said his mom was pretty slim, too. I don't know how he avoided Hephaestus' genes, but he did."

"He's actually _related_ to the dread pirate Hephaestus?!" Calypso never in a million years would have believed it. Hephaestus was huge. He'd been known to have a large frame, with blacksmith muscles. You couldn't tell he had a limp until he actually moved towards something. "That's impossible!"

Piper giggled as she changed into a new outfit. "It's a weird thought. Leo's just one of many results of one-night-stands, but it was rumored his mother was a personal favorite of Hephaestus, like Beckendorf's. Here's another weird thought: Leo's actually kinda related to me."

"Now I know you're telling a lie."

"No, really! You know how my mom never married? Everyone knows she's had many illegitimate children and she plans on making one of my step-sisters her heir. But she refuses to marry because she already _was_ married! To Hephaestus, of all people! She said it was a mistake, but she still acknowledges him as her husband. When he died all those years ago, she was devastated."

"How would you know?"

"She told me," Piper said as if it were common knowledge. "She pulled me aside one day and said she was proud that I was so adventurous. She wanted me to find a step-brother who'd made port at the far end of the kingdom for a short time, saying it was better that I have this adventure than be stuck at the palace like her. She knew I was miserable."

"And the step-brother," Calypso drawled. "He was…"

"Captain Valdez," her friend finished. "Mom had sent me with a letter to deliver to a young man with the initials LV. When I saw the Hephaestus pirates, I immediately knew Leo was the one. And when he read the letter, he decided to make me his best and favorite sister." She smiled. "He's an awesome guy. A little insane, but he translates that into what you see around us. His 'insanity' makes way for some amazing creativity."

Calypso rolled her eyes. "An insane person is still insane."

Piper laughed. "True enough, but it takes insane people to follow an insane captain."

"How _did_ that man get to be a captain?"

"He was actually Beckendorf's first mate." Piper opened the door and led Calypso out into the hall. "Care for a tour?"

"Fine," she sighed. "But, first mate or no, I can't imagine that was the only reason he became captain."

"That's the engine room," Piper pointed to where Calypso and Hazel had met Leo. "In case you don't know, the engine is what powers the ship and makes it move. And the crew had a debate on whether or not to make Leo captain after Beckendorf's death. It was unfortunate, and Leo had been injured as well, but everyone eventually agreed that no one would lead us better than him. He has a knack for the position and isn't too ambitious or greedy."

She led Calypso up top. "Here's the main deck. The first mate's quarters are up here, as well as the helmsman's."

Calypso looked up at the control center of the ship. A woman with long dark hair tied under a camouflage bandana and muscles as big as a man's was steering. She looked tough enough to take on a lion, and that made Calypso nervous.

Piper smiled. "Her name's Nyssa. She's nicer than she looks—as are most of the crew." Then, she led Calypso to other places; a secondary engine room, a forge, the treasury, several bathroom locations (even though Piper assured her they had their own), the navigation room, some storage places, and lastly, the galley.

Calypso's stomach growled in protest when a bell rang out of nowhere. She looked up on the wall and saw a steam-powered clock read 1:00. That meant it was 1300.

Piper pounded a fist in the air. "Yes! First in line! We've got awesome timing—c'mon!"

She dragged Calypso up to the counter of food. A couple chefs were on the other side, still putting out the food.

The food…

Calypso had assumed this ship would be serving gruel or some nasty slop that would never qualify for real food. She was wrong. What lay before her was a mountain range of gourmet food fit for three hundred kings. Lobster, steak, ribs, two stuffed pigs, mountains of rice and mashed potatoes, lakes of gravy, valleys of peas, orchard-level fruits…even exotic food Calypso had only ever glimpsed before—this ship had it all!

"How?" she managed. "Your ship must have been out at sea for months! How could it have such delicious food?"

"We have our ways," Piper said with a grin. "I haven't shown you some of the secret stuff like the gardens."

"You have _gardens_ on a _ship_?"

Piper picked up a full lobster and grabbed two platefuls of rice and apples. Calypso got a salad with bananas and grapes on the side. Piper shook her head and placed a steak plate on top of her salad plate. "Get the meat before the rest of the crew gets here. It's awesome." Then, she directed Calypso to a table fit for around six people. There were hundreds of these tables, and some had couches surrounding them.

Calypso blinked. "This kind of luxury seems impossible to have on a pirate ship," she noted as she sat on a luxurious velvet chair.

Piper grinned. "Hephaestus had said that the ship is a home. Why should we be uncomfortable in our home? Only the best for us!"

The pirates who had already entered the galley heard her comment and all howled, "Aye!" in agreement.

Within minutes the galley was filled with chattering pirates and thieves. Calypso could already discern which was which, considering the thieves and acrobatic members seemed to be the less burly of the bunch. They all mingled so well, as if they were really family.

Suddenly, a rough voice squeaked, "Mind if I sit here?"

Calypso turned and saw Frank, the same sailor who'd been taken prisoner with her, standing there looking sheepish and shy. Calypso smiled and motioned for him to sit on her left. Frank happily sat.

"Glad to see you're all right," she said once he set his plate down and got comfortable in another velvet chair.

He nodded. "They put me in the brig for maybe an hour, then the first mate said my 'trial period' had started and put me in a room with some guy named Jake."

Piper put out her hand in greeting. "Welcome to the crew as a temporary member," she said. "The name's Piper."

"Frank." Frank warily shook her hand. "Aren't you that daughter of the show performer that went missing a while back?"

"Guilty as charged," she admitted.

"Did these pirates capture you and take you hostage?" he asked, taking a bite of an apple.

Piper shook her head. "The captain tells that story to everyone. It's easier to believe I 'went savage' because I spent so long here than that I came here of my own free will. Can you imagine the scandal my mother would deal with if that got around?"

"It's not even known that you _are_ a pirate," Calypso informed her.

"Ah, well, easier for my mother and father, then," Piper said, popping a bit of lobster in her mouth.

"I didn't hear that from the captain," Frank admitted. "Jake told me."

Piper laughed. "Don't believe him. He's nutso."

"Spreading lies again, Piper?"

Calypso looked up and saw the burly man who had found her sit down next to Piper. He grinned as he playfully punched his shipmate.

Piper punched him back. "You are, too, nuts."

Calypso smiled. "So are you."

Piper glared at her playfully. "Yeah, but he's worse."

They all chuckled. Jake stuck out his hand to Calypso. "No hard feelings? I was only teasin' before."

"Teasing…right." Calypso didn't shake his dirty and disgusting hand. "I will have bruises on my arm for weeks now."

He looked sheepish and dropped his hand. "Sorry. I'm a blacksmith by trade. I don't know the meaning of 'soft touch'."

Frank leaned over. "It's just as well you didn't shake his hand. He nearly broke mine in his grip."

Calypso giggled.

"Aw, she _can_ smile!"

Calypso stopped giggling and visibly grimaced. "Not you."

The captain himself scooted a velvet chair up right next to Calypso and grinned at her. "Not me? I know _I_ can smile, Sunshine. I was noting how _you_ smiled!"

Calypso huffed and ate her salad, not looking up at him. _Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away._

No such luck, as Leo scooted closer. "What were you laughing at, anyway? I need to know so I can make you laugh!"

Calypso rolled her eyes. "I do laugh at you," she told him.

"Really?" Leo's voice was edged with curiosity.

"Yes. In fact, I was just laughing at the thought of how terrible a flirt you are, and that you think you're so hot with that ugly impish face."

"Terrible flirt?" He flailed around dramatically. "I'll have you know all da ladies luv me! I wiggle my eyebrows and they giggle like school girls!"

"Because it looks funny and weird on your face," Piper joked. "And you _are_ kind of suckish at flirting. Even Jake could do better."

"Not you, too, Pipes," Leo wailed. "Why you gotta hurt my feelings like that?"

"Cause I'm your sister and that's what sisters do."

"Ah, yes. Carry on, then." Leo turned back to Calypso and poked her shoulder. "Hey," he prodded. "Hey. Hey. _Princesa_."

Calypso tried to ignore him, but he just poked harder. "_What_!?"

When she turned to glare at him, she was surprised to see he was cleaner than before. No longer covered in grease and oil, the young man's caramel tan skin was revealed. His black curls were wet, which suggested he had probably taken a bath after waking up. What caught Calypso's attention were his eyes. They were deep chocolate brown, playful, yet...something was broken. Calypso prided herself in reading people and when she saw Leo's eyes, she knew something had happened to him. Something so bad it had broken him and he was trying to hide it.

_Clever mask,_ she conceded. _But it won't fool me into pitying you, pirate._

Leo grinned. "I am on a mission."

"You don't say."

"I _do_ say," Leo said proudly. "And this is my mission: to make you like me."

Calypso frowned. "Then you will fail."

Leo smirked. "Then let's make a bet."

The moment _bet_ was said, their table was suddenly surrounded. The Stoll brothers were at the head of the pack, grinning like idiots. Leo looked pretty smug.

"I bet," Leo began, "That by the time you leave this ship (willing or unwilling), you will fall in love with me. If I win, you give me a kiss and refer to me as Captain Hot Stuff."

"And if I say I don't love you," Calypso added, "You give me something."

"Name it. Not the ship or any of my crew."

_Drat. That would have been nice to have in my father's navy._ "Your goggles."

The crew gave a long, "Oooh!" Leo paled a little. "Not my goggles," he said. Said goggles were resting on the top of his head. He touched them, as if fearing someone would steal them. "They're not for bargaining."

Calypso shrugged. "Then there's no bet."

The crew began teasing the captain, calling him a scaredy-cat for backing out of a bet. Jake prodded Leo with his foot, smirking. Leo's eyes went dark. They glazed over, like he was remembering something important.

Eventually, he sighed. "Fine. I win, you kiss me and call me aforementioned title. You win...you get my goggles." He held out a calloused hand. "Deal?"

Calypso, for the first time since she'd been in his presence, smiled. She shook his hand, mildly surprised at his strong, yet gentle grip. "Deal."

* * *

The first few weeks were absolute torture for Calypso. It wasn't that she minded pulling her weight; she'd found the garden on the ship and made that her workspace. It was at the aft end, and was absolutely beautiful, with plants Calypso had never seen before inside. There was a glass top to the room, so sunlight could be filtered in. Should the ship go into combat mode, an 'automatic' steel ceiling would cover it, protecting the garden. Calypso loved working with the flowers, and had become acquainted with a woman named Katie. She was going steady with one of the Stoll brothers—Travis, Calypso thought his name was.

But it wasn't working with Katie in the garden that was torture. No, that was delightful. It wasn't bunking with Piper, either. She was still the same old Piper, and Calypso was glad for company that didn't look at her like she was going to make them rich.

No. It was the captain's constant advances that made it torturous. He'd saunter up to her and wiggle his eyebrows, crack a cheesy joke, even try to get close to her. He even managed to give a few pick-up lines that were cheesier than the lasagna served on Wednesdays!

"Your arms must be tired from flying all the way down from heaven."

"Your hand looks heavy...let me hold it for you!"

"I'm glad I didn't need a map to find the greatest treasure in the world."

"Is it hot in here, or is that just you?"

"I'd ask you for a light, but you've already lit my fire..."

She'd, of course, made him fail every time. His first attempt had ended with him falling down the stairs because he was going down backwards while in front of her as she descended. Another time ended with a door slamming in his face. The most recent attempt had been in the galley for breakfast, when she had poured hot oatmeal on his head and stormed away.

She hated that man with a passion and was looking forward to leaving the ship just to claim those stupid goggles of his. What would she do with goggles? Who knew...maybe she'd show them off to her girlfriends back home as a trophy for surviving such an ordeal. She'd certainly gain popularity for meeting Captain Valdez in person, even if his amazing hotness had been skewed beyond recognition.

Still, a moment came when Leo had actually surprised her.

About a month and a half after being captured, Calypso was hungry and wanted a late night snack. There wasn't any rule about raiding the kitchen after dark. Even the night owls got hungry. So, she put on some loose pants under her large night shirt, as well as some boots, and stumbled through the halls searching for the kitchen.

The quickest way would have been to go through the engine room and up the stairs to the first deck. It was the most well-lit way, with candles and Leo's special 'electric-powered lights' to light the way. However, that way also meant risking a run-in with the captain himself, and Calypso seriously debated on possibly going a different way.

She decided against her better judgment and went through the engine room. There were plenty of blunt objects in there to hit Leo with should he decide to flirt this late in the evening. And on the return trip, Calypso would sneak a pot out of the kitchen just in case.

The engine room hummed with life, sputtering out smoke endlessly and making the ship move through the ocean effortlessly. Against a wall, slumped on a desk, was Leo. He was still fully dressed, an ink pen still in his hand, like he had fallen asleep working. Piper and Katie had informed Calypso that it happened a lot. The captain was very passionate about his work, so much so that it affected his health. Hazel had found him passed out in the engine room after three days of not doing anything but work. He'd starved and exhausted himself almost to death because he was working on a new thing that would improve the ship.

Leo snored louder than the engine. Calypso rolled her eyes and tried to sneak past the sleeping captain. Before she passed him completely, he twitched and snorted. She froze.

Leo lifted his head, smacking his lips together. Calypso noticed a few empty rum bottles around him and assumed he must be drunk. His flushed face and bloodshot eyes certainly suggested it. He groaned and clutched his head.

"Damn," he moaned. "I need to pee..."

He stood up on shaky legs, using the desk for support. When he turned around, he looked at Calypso with unknowing eyes. "...time is it?" he slurred.

"A little after midnight," Calypso said, ready for a flirtatious joke.

The captain shook his head. "Eh...where's the toilet...again?"

Calypso cocked an eyebrow and pointed away. "Down the hall. You don't have a personal bathroom?"

"You know I don't, Pipes..."

Leo began shuffling away, but ran into one of his projects and stumbled. He leaned against the wall and slid down. Calypso went to catch him and stood him upright again. "Pipes?"

Leo chuckled. "I won't stop calling you that, Beauty Queen," he slurred, his eyes crossing. He side-hugged her. "You're the best sister I could ever have..."

Calypso was taken aback. She and Piper were two different people! How could this idiot mistake her for the daughter of Aphrodite? "I'm not..."

Leo began to cry. Calypso froze as he hugged her fully. His body shook as he sobbed into her hair. "I can't take this, Pipes," he cried.

Calypso decided to play this out. She was kind of curious as to why the captain was so sad. She stroked his back, hoping he didn't throw up all over her. "Um..." she tried. "What can't you take?"

He sobbed again. "This whole thing," he whined. "The bet with the princess..."

"She does have a name," Calypso chided.

"I know...I'm just...I hurt, Pipes...I really like her, and what she said hurt..."

"What did she say?"

"That she wouldn't love me," he muttered. "I'm worried she won't ever love me."

"Why?"

"Because I love _her_!" he cried, sobbing again. Calypso's whole shoulder was wet now. "I've never felt this way about _any_ girl before! She's different from the others, so headstrong and confident that I can't be as great as she's heard...I've fallen for her hard and...I can't bear thinking that she won't fall for me..."

Calypso blinked. Was he pulling her leg? _Is he trying to get me to like him through different means? Because...well...I think I might believe this..._ "Maybe...maybe you could try _not_ flirting with her," she suggested. "Not every girl goes for that."

"I don't know how else to approach her," he sniffled. "I'm so bad with girls."

"Could've fooled me," she whispered to herself. "You could always try being yourself," she tried.

"No," he said flatly. "No one could ever like me if I was myself...they'd only pity me and try to like me just to make me feel better...I couldn't bear with false love like that..."

Calypso blinked in surprise. She had heard Captain Leo Valdez would do _anything_ to get companionship, yet here he was confessing he didn't want false love! "B-But you've..." she stammered.

Leo sniffed and sighed. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Beauty Queen," he whispered. "A bit of the real me leaks out when I'm drunk..."

_A bit?_

The captain rose to a standing position and brushed off his pants. "I shouldn't drink so much," he muttered to himself. He walked away to a mattress and collapsed on top of it, not before kicking off his boots. Within seconds he was out like a light.

Calypso stared at him in utter shock. _What just happened?_

She was very confused about the captain's behavior. She knew he'd been wearing a metaphorical mask, but she never knew he was like _that_. He acted so..._sincere_ about trying to woo Calypso! Not once did he admit that he was fantastic or great. In fact, he'd admitted that he was practically useless when it came to women and showing his true nature.

A piece of paper slid from the desk. Calypso walked over and grabbed it. It was a design for some sort of musical device shaped like...what even was that shape? A tube? A pipe? A flower? She couldn't tell, but she assumed it was unfinished.

She placed the paper back on the desk and set Leo's goggles on top as a weight. Glancing over them, Calypso fingered the rim of the goggles. Why had Leo been so reluctant about giving them up? How were they so special to him?

Calypso abandoned the notion of food and decided to go bother someone about what just happened. Someone who knew Leo longer than Piper, who would keep this a secret from Calypso no matter what anyway. Someone really close to the captain.

Someone like the first mate, Hazel Levesque.

Calypso went upstairs and soaked in the half-moon light. Only the night helmsman, a kid named Harley, was up. He glanced at Calypso and grinned in greeting. Calypso nodded back and headed straight for Hazel's quarters.

When she opened the door, she blinked.

Frank was curled up on the bunk near the door, half naked. Calypso nudged him with her foot. Satisfied that he wouldn't be waking up soon, she walked over to Hazel's bunk.

The black woman was sleeping peacefully, hugging a pillow as if it were a teddy bear. Calypso shook her shoulders. Hazel blinked and looked up with big golden eyes.

"Calypso?" she slurred. "What are you doing? It's, uh, the middle of the night..."

"You sleep with Frank?" Calypso asked, one eyebrow raised.

Hazel sat up and stretched. "He's my cabinmate. Nothing bad, I promise."

"What happened to rooming with Jake?"

"We didn't have any extra male berthing in case there was another temp, so I offered to take Frank off of Jake's hands."

"Highly convenient," Calypso noted, "that you offered to take Frank and no one else."

Hazel flushed. "Did you come in here to judge me?"

"No. I came to ask you about...about the captain."

"Leo?" Hazel asked. "What happened? Did he hurt you?"

"No, no," Calypso defended. "Nothing like that! It's just that...something happened and I don't understand..."

Hazel blinked. "Was he drunk? Did he try to flirt with you drunk? 'Cause I would have loved to see that!"

"He was drunk," the princess confirmed. "But he thought I was Piper and..."

Hazel's features showed understanding. "Did he cry?"

"Like a baby."

The first mate sighed. "He's very vulnerable when he's that drunk. He doesn't like people seeing that side of him, which is why he chooses to drink alone. Every time we go to bars he opts out of drinking just so people won't see his real self."

"No one cares?"

"He acts like he's drunk most of the time," Hazel said with a chuckle. "When everyone else is drunk, it's hard to tell Leo apart from them."

Calypso sighed. "I can see why no one should see him like that, though."

"Did he say you were the best sister ever?" Hazel joked. "He did that to me once."

"That and more...He confessed that he loved me."

"He loves Piper?" Hazel asked.

"No," Calypso groaned. "He thought I was Piper and said he loved me, as in he loves Calypso! He broke down and said he hated how hard it was dealing with the fact that I might not love him back."

Hazel's jaw dropped. "He told you that?"

"He nearly screamed it at me! He admitted he couldn't deal with girls, and he didn't know how else to get me to like him other than flirting with me."

The first mate giggled. "He's really head over heels for you, then. That idiot can't lie when he's drunk. It's one of his weaknesses."

"How do I deal with this information?" Calypso asked.

"You could just pretend it didn't happen and continue hating him," Hazel suggested. "Leo can't remember schist when he gets drunk, so you won't have to deal with him confronting you about it."

Could she do that? Calypso figured she couldn't. Now that she'd seen that side of the captain, it would be hard to ignore his annoying presence and not think of the broken man underneath. Yes, she felt pity for him, but at the same time, she felt sympathy. She knew the burden of keeping a mask up was a heavy one. Sometimes you had to release it because it was just too much to keep hidden. As a princess, Calypso had to keep that mean and snobby mask on 24/7, even around her family.

_I should probably be a little nicer to him, then_, she thought to herself. _I guess he isn't so bad if I think of that side of him..._

"Calypso?"

The princess shook her head and blinked up at Hazel. "Sorry, I was just thinking. You were saying?"

"I was suggesting maybe if you don't want to keep hating him, you could at least like him as a friend? The bet was that you either loved or didn't love him. You could like him and not love him and still win the bet."

This was true. Nowhere in their deal did they agree liking fell under love's category. It was a nice loophole to think about.

"Okay," Calypso conceded. "You have a point...I could try that. I will admit he's...kind of warming up to me."

"That's the spirit," Hazel said with a smile. "Honestly, Leo isn't a bad guy. I'll admit, even I had difficulty warming up to him. A lot of people do. But once you see he's not as bad as you think, he's easy to be around. Am I right?"

Calypso shrugged. "I suppose." Her stomach growled. "I'll act friendlier toward him tomorrow. Right now, I'm going to go get some food and go back to sleep."

"I like that second idea," Hazel muttered, yawning. "G'night. Good luck on your endeavors tomorrow."

Calypso bade the first mate good night and left quietly. She momentarily remembered the goggles, but decided to leave it be for now. Maybe if Leo heeded her advice and stopped trying so hard to fail-flirt, she might ask him personally about why they were so special...

Soon after she had food in her stomach, Calypso began thinking about Leo's behavior again. In all honesty, she didn't mind how sensitive he'd been about liking Calypso...

_He's definitely been a hassle to deal with_, she thought. _But he still treats me like a person, unlike other men who ever vainly chased after me. Perhaps there's more of a good man inside that scrawny imp than I thought..._

* * *

**_A/N: Aw, she does care about him. I bet you all know how that's gonna turn out :3_**

**_Drunken -sensitive and shy about love- pirate Leo._**

**_You're welcome._**

**_Also, the corny and terrible pick-up lines...which is your FAVORITE? Mine has to be "I'd ask you for a light, but you've already lit my fire." :'D I'm a terrible person for that._**

**_Meanwhile, Frank and Hazel are roommates. Get yo minds out of the gutter, you nasty peoples, 'cause you know I don't write that! I'll add some more Frazel moments (maybe) next chapter._**

**_ALSO PLEASE READ: by 'another one?' in the first chapter, when Leo is talking with Hazel, he meant another person taken aboard the ship that day, not another guy to woo for Hazel. Even I find that confusing, and I apologize for that vagueness. I'll put that into the Frazel moment, as well as an explanation on the whole 'deceased Sammy' thing. I hate loose ends and don't want to leave that out D:  
_**

**_And yes, to answer a review question: Hazel and Nico are brother and sister here. I don't know if I want to have Nico make an official appearance, but that specific topic will come up in conversation some time in the future, maybe during an aforementioned Frazel moment._**

**_EDIT ON A MAJOR SCALE: Than you Thegirlwhoremembers, b/c I totes didn't remember *shot for that pun* that Frank was rooming with Jake...and then randomly placed him with Hazel. There is NOW a solid reason behind that Dx I'm an idiot, thank you :)_**


	3. The Kings, the Crews, & the Past

_**Yes, I realize Percy is working for Atlas. Ignore that as best you can :3**_

_**Oh Gods I nearly died not being able to submit stuff D: Was it just as terrible for you guys, too!?**_

_**So, the Frazel moment kinda fell through here. I thought I could handle it, but it came and went too quickly...BUT LOOK! Solangelo! And Reyna! AND DAKOTA!**_

_**And Atlas.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

**_*~Captain Hot Stuff~*_**

_Part Three_

_The Kings, the Crews, and the Past_

King Atlas sat on his throne, bored of reading tax papers and hearing complaints. He wished something would happen that didn't involve tedious things.

The last exciting thing to happen was sending his youngest, Calypso, off to marry a prince across the sea. That had been half a year ago. Surely, _by now_ she would have arrived and a letter should be on its way via messenger bird…

"My lord!"

Atlas looked up, his red eyes gleaming hungrily. Then, his gaze hardened and he narrowed his eyes at the approaching figure.

It was Commodore Jackson. His naval uniform was disgustingly dirty and ripped, and his hair was much longer than regulation should allow. His face was sunken in, like he hadn't eaten in days. His green eyes were wild.

"Commodore," Atlas greeted. "You're a mess. Why are you present? You should be attending to Calypso."

"That's why I'm here," Jackson said. "We were four months out when…pirates attacked."

"You couldn't handle a few vagabond sea thieves?" Atlas rolled his eyes. "Or did you run into Captain di Angelo again?"

"We were pursued by the _Argo II_."

_That_ made King Atlas straighten in his seat. "And?"

Percy didn't look him in the eye. "We were overrun. Even though we spotted them the moment they broke the horizon, our forces could not handle Captain Valdez's men. Even with a good fight, they still won…and took every bit of treasure they could find."

"And what of my daughter?" Atlas demanded.

"Every bit of treasure," the commodore repeated.

The king howled in rage. His bellow shook the whole room with its echo. "They have taken my daughter! I will have Valdez! I want his head! I want him to hang!"

"A few weeks ago, he made sure a letter got to us," Percy added. He took out a sealed envelope and handed it to Atlas.

Atlas tore it open and hastily read the contents of the letter:

_Dear Grumpy King Atlas,_

_How's it going? This is Captain Leo Valdez of the Hephaestus pirates. It is my pleasure to inform you that my crew and I have relieved your incompetent commodore of his duties, by which I mean his duties to escort the fair and beautiful Princess Calypso. Oh, don't worry; she's fine. Very feisty, isn't she? Death threats almost every day._

_On to business._

_The _Argo II_ will be returning Calypso home in due time. After, of course, we make some regular port calls. Now, regarding our fee…yes, I expect a very large sum for transportation of such a rare and beautiful treasure. Escorting isn't free, good king._

_Here are my demands: When my ship enters your territorial waters, none of my crew, including myself, will be apprehended or arrested or shot on sight. My ship will not be taken or attacked, nor shall it be getting a naval escort. Before, during, and after Calypso's return to you, none on my ship (or, gods forbid, on the gangplank) shall be shot at, arrested, or killed and none that aren't of my crew shall make an attempt to do so. Before we allow Calypso off my ship, you will send one unarmed person up with our payment. Just one. They can make multiple trips. No naval personnel shall do said job. Once Calypso is returned to you and my fee paid, you will give us an immediate one day head start. Once the day is up, feel free to resume this game of chess._

_White Bishop to Black Rook, H8, and White Knight to Black Queen, F6. Your Rook has been turned and your Queen is now mine._

_Check._

_Your move, Black King._

_Sincerely,_

_White King_

_(Captain Valdez)_

_PS: Here's the bill…_

Below was an unbelievable amount of money. Oh, Atlas could pay it. It was nothing compared to what he had in the treasury. But still, even his richest lords didn't have as much as what this pirate was asking!

"I want his head mounted on my wall," Atlas snarled. He turned to Percy. "Get the Grace siblings and Captain Chase here immediately. I'll give this greedy pirate his money, but I won't be made a fool of. He thinks he can order _me_ around? He'll soon find out that I can hit harder than he ever could!"

He crumpled the paper and tossed it on the ground.

"Terrible strategy, Valdez," Atlas muttered. "You moved all of your pieces away from you. And now, you won't have anyone to defend you from death."

The king stomped on the paper as he watched Commodore Jackson leave the throne room.

"Black Knights and Black Bishops to White King, E1," he growled with a wolfish grin. "Total annihilation of the white side of the board. Checkmate."

* * *

Piper rubbed her temples together. "There is no way you thought of that all by yourself," she chided.

Leo, who was sprawled out on one of the long couches, waved his chicken leg in the air. "Alright, so I admit, the chess metaphor wasn't my idea…"

Hazel grinned. "It was mine. I figured something like that might make the king steam."

Calypso snorted. "Oh it will. But I highly doubt my father will want to meet all of your demands…"

It had been one month since Calypso had discovered Leo's drunken state. Since that night, she'd acted a little kinder to him, and he (surprisingly) had stopped flirting so hard. He still did it, but it wasn't every time he talked to her now. Calypso rather enjoyed his company now; he wasn't that polite of a man, but he _was_ actually funny—not that she'd ever say that out loud—and Calypso had to admit that his creations, now that she'd taken the time to look, were very impressive. She hadn't caught his true self again, but it was only a matter of time before he took up the bottle.

But Calypso and Leo's friendship status was nothing compared to Hazel and Frank's. Those two had become a couple, much to the surprise of Calypso! She had thought Frank would never agree to go steady with the first mate of all people, seeing as how she was the reason he was here in the first place.

But there they were, sitting together. They were still at that awkward shy-couple phase, which was weird to see with the confident first mate. Frank now seemed comfortable in his new place on the ship as the first mate's boyfriend, so much so that he had talked to Leo about staying longer. Leo had grinned and welcomed him to the crew. Calypso wasn't very happy about it, seeing as now she was the lonely hostage surrounded completely by pirates and thieves…

"If he doesn't," Leo said through his chicken, "the _Argo_'s more than capable of handling a few men."

"And if he decides to attack you before you even dock?"

Leo smirked. "I'll keep you."

"What if I refuse to be kept?" Calypso shot back.

"Hope you can swim," the captain assured her.

"Captain!" Jake came into the galley, panting. "There you are! There's a ship on our tail."

Leo waved him off. "Our ship's faster, we'll lose 'em within a minute."

"I told the boys below to slow 'er down," Jake said. "It ain't the Navy."

Hazel cocked an eyebrow. "Who is it?"

Jake smiled. "Who else travels with his own personal spooky fog?"

Hazel squealed and immediately scrambled for the door, leaving Frank dazed and confused on a couch. Jake left as well to inform other crew members of their visitor.

Leo laughed. "Sorry, dude. Nico takes precedence over new boyfriends."

"Captain di Angelo?" the sailor grumbled. "Why's he special to her?"

"Down boy," Piper said, as if she were talking to a dog. "Nico is Hazel's brother."

Calypso and Frank both shared a befuddled look. "What?" they both shouted.

Leo shrugged. "Not that terrible a thought, if you see how complicated _my_ family tree is…Hazel and Nico have the same father—a man by the name of Hades, though when he wooed Marie Levesque, he went under the name Pluto to avoid some law."

Calypso huffed in surprise. She'd never considered the Ghost King to be related to anyone so bubbly as Hazel. In her defense, though, she'd never even _met_ Captain di Angelo. What she'd heard of him had been stories of his ghost-like appearance, and his uncanny creepiness. She'd also heard he was kind of cute, but Calypso ignored those voices in her head. She'd seen how skewed those stories could be...

Case in point:

"Hey, Sunshine," Leo said with a smirk. He poked her until she paid attention to him. "Don't be afraid of Big Bad Nico. Don't worry; I'll protect you from the Ghost King."

He flexed his bicep, which was as flat as a board. His scrawny arms heralded nothing but work scars and soot. Calypso rolled her eyes and got out of her chair.

"Aw, don't leave!" he whined. "The Captain needs company!"

"The captain has Frank and Piper. Calypso is going to see Hazel," she answered flatly.

She heard him heave a sigh before she left the galley. Following some of the crew members, she walked up to the main deck to await the arrival of the _Underworld_, Nico's ghostly ship.

The _Argo II_'s smog quickly mixed with the fog surrounding the black ship. Being on the _Argo_ for so long, Calypso had forgotten that normal ships were much smaller. The _Underworld_ was only two-thirds the size of the _Argo II_. Still big, but the difference was staggering. Its sails were blacker than night, and the main mast was topped with a black flag that heralded the usual skull-and-crossbones symbol.

Another ship flanked the _Underworld_. Calypso could barely make out the words _Apollo's Sun_ scrawled on the side. It was a bit smaller than the black ship, and was almost golden in color. The sails of this ship had a large sun stitched into the fabric. There was no flag, which meant the ship belonged to neither side; the captain was a privateer.

Within minutes, all three ships had anchored. The _Underworld_ and _Apollo's Sun_ had ended up on either side of the _Argo II_. Jake, Harley, and the Stolls lowered the gangplanks on either side.

Four people came up onto the _Argo_ first, followed by the rest of their crews. The main deck soon became crowded with people, but everyone seemed to give the four main figures enough space, particularly the two that had first disembarked from the _Underworld_.

"Nico!"

One of said figures spread his arms wide and hugged an inbound Hazel. The _Argo_'s first mate squealed in delight as he spun her around.

Calypso regarded each figure as she muscled her way through the crowd of people.

The one holding Hazel was obviously Captain Nico di Angelo. Unlike with Leo, all the stories surrounding the Ghost King's appearance seemed to be true. He had medium-length black hair that hung in his eyes. From what Calypso could tell, they were either black or dark brown in color. He was pale, as if he'd never been touched by the sun, and skinny. Not scrawny like Captain Valdez, but extremely bony. A large black sword hung from his belt. He wore a brown fur-lined jacket, black shirt, tight black pants and black boots.

Next to him was a tall woman with a dark complexion like Leo's. Her long black hair was in a ponytail, so there was nothing hiding the sharp features and dark eyes of this woman. She was very regal-looking and held herself high, as if she were royalty. Calypso recognized her as Reyna, the previous Queen of the seas and first mate to Captain di Angelo. She used to run her own ship, but her sister, Hylla, soon overtook her and turned her crew against her. Now they were all known as the Amazons, the first and only all-female pirate crew. Captain di Angelo had taken Reyna in as his first mate, which she gladly accepted. It was more of a co-captain thing anyway, since they both worked well together in a non-romantic kind of way.

Calypso was more afraid of Reyna at the moment, because of her sharp features and indifferent attitude. She glanced over at the other two figures from the _Apollo's Sun_. The first was a pretty tall young man with curly black hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a rainbow of colors, with random assortments all over that probably wouldn't work fashionably on anyone else; it was as if he'd dressed while drunk. Considering his uneven eyes, flushed appearance, red-stained lips, and relaxed stance (as well as the extra large, almost empty wine bottle in his hand) it seemed entirely possible. A golden sword was strapped to his back.

The second was a man about Nico's age. He had beautiful golden hair and deep blue eyes. His stance was very relaxed as well, though not nearly as drunkenly as his companion's. He was cleanly dressed, with loose fitting clothes under a white overcoat. The coat reminded Calypso of a doctor's.

"What's with the invasion!?"

Calypso turned and saw the sea of pirates part for Leo. The captain waved his arms around and laughed. "Just bring both your crew aboard, why don't you?"

"You have the bigger space," said the doctorly guy. He had a beautiful voice to match that handsome appearance.

"And wine cellar." That had been the drunken man. His voice was pretty smooth and steady, but at the end of his statement, he hiccupped.

Leo grinned and man-hugged the two from _Apollo's Sun_. "Will, Dakota! Always nice to see you two. Dakota, don't drain all of my supplies, will you?"

The curly-haired guy grinned, revealing red-stained teeth. "No promises."

Calypso's jaw dropped. Will...William Solace! The privateer rumored to get near Captain di Angelo without getting harmed! Calypso couldn't believe her eyes. She never would have guessed he was actually working with the Ghost King _and_ Captain Valdez! She suspected he did this more often than working with the Navy.

Leo turned and grinned at the two from the _Underworld_. "Aw~! Free hugs? Don't mind if I do..."

He ran over and hugged the siblings. Hazel laughed, but Nico looked like he was about to murder someone. He scowled fiercely, his trapped hands desperately trying to reach for his black sword.

"Get off of him, Valdez," the woman growled. "Or I'll cut you down myself."

Will grabbed Leo by the collar of his shirt and dragged the scrawny man off. "Two feet distance," he warned, putting a knife at the captain's throat. "What was my statement?"

Dakota raised his hand, as if he wanted to answer, but Leo beat him to it: "No man other than Captain William Solace is allowed to touch or hug Captain Nico di Angelo in any sort of affectionate way," he recited.

Nico brushed off his pants and straightened himself. "I honestly wish you would not bring that up," he said.

Will grinned. "How else am I supposed to keep everyone informed that you are not for sale?"

Calypso blinked in surprise. _Oh_, she thought. _So this is the reason why Solace is able to get near. He's Nico's lover! What a secret! I don't think I'd be able to tell anyone...they wouldn't believe me!_

Leo cupped his hands around his mouth and yowled, "FEAST TIME! CLEAR THE DECK!"

Every person squished into the stairwell or moved onto the other two ships. Calypso got shoved into Leo, who grinned.

"Oh, you haven't been told what to do," he cooed. "Let Captain Hot Stuff show you. Stand right here."

He led her into the doorway of the smokestack and motioned for her to stay put. Once he checked that everyone had left the immediate area, he pulled a lever on the inside of the smokestack. The entire deck opened up—main and upper—and a whole outdoor kitchen buffet rose. Far more chairs, couches and tables than the galley below possessed rose up with the kitchen buffet. When it stopped rising, the cooks came out of nowhere and began frying things up as fast as lightning.

Leo called out, "COME ON BACK AND MINGLE!"

The three crews trickled back onto the deck and began conversing. Leo ordered the Stolls, Frank, and a few others to bring up the rum and wine. Dakota skittered off to help, clearly excited for the prospect of alcohol.

* * *

Two hours later, as the sun began to set, a full pirate's party was in full-swing. Everyone was drunk off their asses, dancing around, singing, playing instruments ridiculously loud…

Well, _almost_ everyone was drunk.

Calypso wasn't that much of a drinker. She could handle her wine, but that was about it. One glass and she was done for the night drink-wise.

That didn't mean she couldn't have fun. The princess stuck next to Piper, who introduced her to some fun characters. Dakota was by far the funniest she'd met, acting like he had cabin fever and constantly swigging on an alcohol.

Frank and Hazel were snuggling on one of the love seats nearby, clearly not shy when rum was in their system.

Suddenly, Hazel announced, "You, Frank…are the most handsome guy I've ever met!"

He grinned stupidly. "Why, thank you, m'lady," he slurred.

"No, I'm serious! You're so handsome and cute…and living…you're way better than Sammy!"

Calypso's brow furrowed. She remembered Leo mentioning something about a Sammy character back when she first came aboard. He had said, 'another one?' right before that comment, so she had assumed Hazel was just a big flirt—but then Piper had said Hazel had only had one relationship before Frank. Maybe Leo had meant 'another one' as in another prisoner that day?

Leo, who was sitting next to Calypso (not her idea of an ideal place), chugged a drink of water. "Haze," he warned. "You know what you're like when you talk about Sammy when you're drunk."

"You shut up!" she snapped. "I was just makin' a statement!"

Frank ignored his girlfriend's distress and kissed her. It got passionate really fast, so Calypso reluctantly turned toward the captain. She noticed the water in his hand.

"Not drinking?" she prodded.

"Avoiding a hangover," he informed her.

"Kinda hard to avoid a hangover if you don't drink in the first place," she said quietly.

Leo didn't react. He just sipped on his water and said to the couple, "Get a room!"

"I got one!" Hazel cried. She pulled Frank to his feet and started bouncing. "Let's go to my quarters. I got some great drinks in there!"

They both stumbled away. Calypso was surprised at how fast those two were going. But, she supposed that being a pirate meant you could die at any time, so you had to live life to the fullest. Perhaps that was the reason why Dakota drank so much, or why Leo tried so hard to flirt.

Come to think of it…ever since the party started, the captain hadn't made a move on her…

Calypso turned back towards Leo. "You _have_ been drinking!"

The captain looked embarrassed and flabbergasted at the same time. "What? Uh…"

Piper heard the comment and stared at him. "You're flushed and your eyes are a little droopy…Oh my gods! You're actually drinking with others?"

Leo pursed his lips. Calypso thought it was kind of cute. But that was irrelevant to the situation. "I always do," he protested.

Piper gave him a withered look. "No you don't. I know you, Leo. You're rowdy on a normal basis. When you drink, you calm down like a weirdo."

Leo chugged his water and stood up. "I need to go check on the engine."

"We're not even moving!"

"Something could still happen!"

He left in a hurry. Calypso followed him. Why? She honestly had no idea. Maybe deep down she wanted to get to know the captain better when his true self was shining through the mask. But for now, she could sense he was distressed. Something had upset him…

"Calypso, wait."

The princess turned. Piper was stumbling after her, looking a little worried. "Don't…don't stress him," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…Be gentle. Leo doesn't drink in public for a reason. I guess he thought he could do it and get away, but since you pointed it out, he's terrified. He doesn't like people seeing him like that."

"I know," Calypso assured her. "But I need to know he's all right. He needs someone to look after him and since Hazel's with Frank and you…I hate to admit it, but you're too wasted to help tonight."

Piper nodded. "Yeah…"

Calypso smiled. "I'll be gentle with him, I promise."

She left the daughter of Aphrodite alone and headed into the smokestack, sure that the captain had told the truth and headed for the engine room.

When she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she paused. Leo was sitting in the corner of the engine room, slumped up against the wall with his head bowed. Somehow, he'd gotten a bottle of rum and was downing it like he had downed the water.

Calypso walked over and gently took the rum out of his hand. He looked up with a broken expression. His eyes crossed. "Pipes…?"

_Not this again…_

"No," she said flatly. "I'm Calypso. The one you keep flirting with."

"Oh." He sighed and bowed his head again. "Okay."

Calypso found herself sitting next to the captain, keeping the rum bottle a safe distance away. She played with her hair, waiting for him to say something—flirt with her, crack a joke, even smile—but he just sat there with his head bowed, looking at the floor.

"Um," Calypso tried. "Can I ask you something?"

Leo looked at her with alarmed eyes, like he'd forgotten she was there. "What?"

"It's about Hazel and Frank."

He visibly relaxed and straightened a bit. "Oh. Um…okay?"

Calypso was glad he would talk to her. Yes, she wanted to find out this information, but she also wanted to get to know him—the real him. Her plan was to talk about Hazel and Frank first, then move the conversation onto himself.

"Who is Sammy?"

Leo looked a little taken aback. Then, he sighed. "Who _was_ Sammy, you mean. Sammy was a…a cousin of mine on my mother's side. He owned some nice property on an island. Hazel used to work there. She tended the fields, did the laundry…slave work. She said she didn't mind. Sammy liked to take her to the stables and help out with the horses. He wasn't above getting his own hands dirty. He and Hazel developed feelings and…well, stuff happens." He reached for the rum bottle, but Calypso smacked him away.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"There was…an incident. The governor of the town nearby said it was outrageous for a landowner to fall in love with a slave. They got into a fight. Sammy was about as scrawny as me, so you can imagine how that played out."

Calypso nodded.

Leo sighed. "So," he said. "Sammy ran after the fight and told Hazel to run. She did. She hid herself in darkness and watched as Sammy was arrested and dragged to the gallows…Hazel was devastated when he dangled. So much so that, in the quiet of the night, she stole a rowboat and escaped the island. I guess her plan was to either starve or drown and join Sammy in the afterlife. Kind of a slow way of committing suicide, but to each his own…"

He reached for the bottle again. Calypso was so shocked by what had happened to Sammy that she didn't even realize Leo'd taken it until he took a swig.

"Anyway," Leo concluded, "her little life boat ran into my ship a few days later. It was awkward when she saw me—a cousin of Sammy's who was the guy's spitting image. But, she soon became like a sister to me, and I made her my first mate. She'd been so innocent and shy when she first came aboard, but I figured she'd grow into it. And she did. She's better than I was when I was a first mate!"

He took another swig, effectively finishing off the bottle. "Aw," he whined, shaking the bottle upside down. "Shoot."

He tossed it and it smashed against the wall opposite them. Calypso winced at the sound of broken glass.

She glanced at the captain, who slumped forward again. "If Sammy was your cousin," she began, trying to be careful, "then why…how did you…?"

Leo laughed bitterly. "How did I end up a lowlife pirate?" he finished. "Because life sucks. I used to be a good kid. Followed the rules. Got apprenticed to a blacksmith. Was on my way to being a fine, upstanding adult with a mediocre life…" He sighed. "Then the fire happened."

Calypso froze as he told her of an accident involving a forge fire when he was only twelve. "It was my fault," he confessed. "I wasn't paying attention. The fire spread out of its oven and…the whole place caught fire. My mother died that night. A beam fell on top of her and pinned her down. I couldn't lift it." He flexed, still revealing no muscles. "You can see why."

"Even after years, you can't manage a decent bicep?" she joked.

He didn't smile. "I got buried in the rubble as well, but I survived," he continued. "I got blamed for the whole thing and lost my job. The rest of my family didn't want anything to do with me (except Sammy, but he was too far away to help) so they wouldn't help with the debt I owed the town. Without my apprenticeship, I couldn't pay them squat, so…I went to prison."

"You were twelve," Calypso said.

"Old enough to work," he said bitterly. "And old enough to pay a debt if one works hard enough. And if you don't pay up, then that's old enough to be thrown in jail."

"How'd you get out?"

"Beckendorf," he said, a sad smile tugging on his lips. "He was rescuing a captured crew member when he found me. He offered to take me in. I didn't want to be in jail, so I went with him. When I told him my mother's name, he grinned and said that she was one of Hephaestus' favorite flings. That's how I found out who my father was and how I found the rest of my family…"

Calypso tried not to cry. She'd never thought about how people _ended_ _up_ as pirates. She'd assumed they were all rotten sons of whores. It never occurred to her that they were once good people who were thrown into terrible situations…like her. Like Hazel. Like Frank.

Like Leo.

Against the nagging in the back of her mind, she scooted closer and side-hugged him. He sniffled and leaned into the touch. Calypso glanced at the goggles on his head.

"The goggles were your mother's, weren't they?" she assessed.

Leo nodded. "They were her prized possession. She didn't like dresses and frills and stuff and loved to disguise herself as a man. With her figure, it didn't really work, but the blacksmith in town didn't mind the extra help. Mom gave me the goggles when I got apprenticed."

Calypso felt terrible. Those goggles obviously meant a lot to the captain, and she had the nerve to make him place them as a bet. As proud as she was, she didn't want to make him lose the only thing he had left of his late mother…

Leo's head drooped and he began to snore. He was leaning on Calypso, slowly sliding down. Eventually, he ended up with his head in her lap.

Calypso brushed a stray black curl out of his face. She supposed he _was_ pretty handsome. Without the joker mask, he was a pretty sweet man, too. He cared for his crewmembers, and he cared for her…He was funny, imaginative, sweet (when he wanted to be), strong, handsome, brave…Leo was everything Calypso had wanted in a man—

That was when Calypso realized...

Leo wouldn't be losing his mother's goggles. He'd won the bet.

Calypso had fallen in love with Leo Valdez!

* * *

**_A/N: Psh, predictability? This story? What are you talking about? 0:)_**

**_At least I admit it. I have my faults. With quickies like this, there's always something that falls through. With The Imp Within, it was the meat of the story and pacing. With this one it's predictability in the plot._**

**_But I don't care~! Sometimes I just need to put it out there, just to make room for my main stories :3 I haven't forgotten them either, so don't worry. It's just that this one keeps hitting me like The Imp Within did lol_**

**_Explanation time:_**

**_Hazel obviously didn't come back from the dead, so having her fall in love with Leo's great-grandfather is a little creepy and gross. So, I made Sammy Captain Leo's cousin. Much easier to work with._**

**_An eight year old Leo wouldn't be apprenticed to a blacksmith, so I upped the age a bit. Esperanza still died, though...sadness._**

**_Remember how I said Reyna was in the Navy, way back in the first chappie's ending A/N? I changed that, too. Sorry for lying again. Her being a pirate suited her better anyway ;3_**

**_Don't feel too terrible for Percy and Annabeth. I have a plan regarding their current employment to King Atlas, as well as the Graces._**


	4. The Captains,the Mercenary,& the Injured

_**Shorter than usual but I don't care.**_

_**Sorry about Thalia's attitude in the beginning. She seems a bit Clarisse to me, too, which is why I mentioned it.**_

_**Please remember the time period here. The pistols will only be one shot, so they have to reload every time.**_

_**Also, you guys are gonna hate me. I always say that when something happens to Leo, don't I?**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

_Part Four_

_The Captains, the Mercenary, and the Injured_

Commodore Percy Jackson watched as his ship became surrounded by three other naval ships: _The Silver Owl_, _The Lightning Hunter_, and _The Olympian_. All were around Percy's ship's size (Percy's ship name being _Poseidon's Storm_), and all were equipped to the brim with cannons and capable sailors ready to take out any pirate that crossed their path.

"All three of them here makes me a tad nervous," muttered his first mate, Grover.

Percy shrugged. "You get along well with them. We've all been friends since we were little."

Grover gave him a withered look. "And what happened every time we were all together? Disaster. Chaos. Mayhem! And when we all get together now…it's even worse! It's like we're inviting a storm to touch down right on top of us when Thalia and Jason get near you alone!"

"We're not that bad," Percy protested.

His first mate snorted. "Oh no? You and Jason are fine if you don't start bragging, but when you and Thalia start bickering…I don't think a few miles is enough of a safe distance away."

The commodore relented. He and the Grace siblings were good friends, but sometimes they had that stubborn streak. All of them butted heads for command and sometimes their bragging and personal insults got out of hand…Annabeth could usually get Percy out without too much damage, and if it was only one sibling, the other could drag them away, too. But if it was Percy versus both siblings, not even Annabeth could stop the storms from raging.

How they were still friends baffled every onlooker, but it usually took about an hour for them all to calm down and act normal again, just so long as no one tried to out-do the other again.

"I see your point," Percy conceded. "But we have to discuss these things eventually. Atlas is getting furious. Princess Calypso has been with the Hephaestus pirates for more than five months. Captain Valdez said that he would be making port at the royal city at the end of this month. The king wants one of us to try and intercept him and the rest of us to be present for the exchange."

"With all due respect," Grover whined, "I hope you don't mean that _we_ will be the ones to try and attack him…that didn't go well the first time."

Percy winced at the memory of the _Argo II_ coming out of nowhere and taking the princess, her dowry, and one of his most loyal sailors. Frank Zhang had actually sent a letter to Percy himself saying he officially resigned his position and was now a member of the Hephaestus pirates. It definitely made the commodore seething mad.

"No," he said flatly. "I have to accept that our ship and our crew is not equipped for such…_confrontations_. I want revenge on Valdez, but…I need to swallow my pride and let someone else handle it."

"I'm rubbing off on you," came a smug female voice.

Percy turned and smiled at Captain Chase, his fiancé. Annabeth smiled and hugged him after she got to the upper deck. "You said you'd actually swallow your pride?"

"Don't tell the Graces," he begged. "They'll never let me live it down."

She chuckled. "I'm sure Jason will eventually stop teasing you," she assured him.

A gangplank was heaved onto Percy's ship from _The Olympian_. Two captains walked with purpose over onto _Poseidon's Storm_.

Percy held out his hand in greeting, watching the rest of his crew do the normal salute. Jason, his blue eyes sparkling, shook the hand and man-hugged Percy.

"Good to see you," Jason said. "We don't get together often enough."

"Grover says that's better for everyone's health," Percy said with a chuckle.

Both of them laughed. Thalia smirked, waiting patiently for her turn to shake Percy's hand. Percy finally extended it and they greeted each other with stiff happiness, each obviously trying not to rile the other up.

Percy tried to be on his best behavior as they all convened in his quarters. Grover and the other first mates were in charge while the captains had their meeting.

He ruefully recounted the tale of how Valdez had shown up and taken two hostages, which eventually turned into just one.

"Frank was a great guy," Jason protested. "I didn't think he'd ever pull a stunt like that! Are you sure he's not lying? Or being told what to say?"

Percy shook his head. "He returned his uniform with the letter. Him being a good guy, I know he'd try to send me some secret message, but there wasn't any. It was straight-up 'Hey, I'm becoming a traitor to the crown for a pirate girl who kidnapped me, hope you're well, bye' kind of letter."

Jason visibly paled. "Which girl?"

"The first mate, Hazel Levesque."

He almost looked relieved, then fixed himself. "Sorry to hear about that."

"Can we continue?" Thalia said, flicking one of her knives around with a bored expression.

Percy continued on by telling them of Leo's conditions of Calypso's return. They all had the decency to look outraged at the demands.

"The King wants one of us to get to Valdez before the exchange and try to get the princess back by force, while the rest of us wait at the royal harbor. He personally wants me present at the harbor, so any volunteers on the battle front?"

Annabeth looked at him, knowing he lied about Atlas wanting him there, but said nothing. Thalia looked absolutely thrilled at the prospect of a fight.

"A fight with Valdez?" she said. "I've never run into his ship. He'd be as much of a challenge as the Ghost King!"

"You've tangled with Nico?" Annabeth asked.

"Nah, the coward won't face me," she growled. "He's too scared to show himself. I bet Valdez won't be so frightened of me."

Jason held out a hand. "No," he said flatly. "I'll go. No offense, Thalia, but you might hurt the princess. This isn't just a fight with the _Argo II_, it's a rescue mission as well."

Thalia pouted. "C'mon, little brother! Let me have some fun! The navy's been all '_Don't do this_' or '_Don't do that_'! I need to get this out of my system."

"You sound like Clarisse," Percy joked. "She's rubbing off on you if all you think about is fighting."

The black-haired Grace sighed. "It's not my fault my crew is getting antsy. We're the toughest ship in the navy for a reason. This is our chance to shine."

"Be that as it may," Annabeth said. "I think Jason's right. You might be better off waiting in the harbor with us. Once Calypso is off the ship—that's assuming she's still there after Jason attempts to get her—you can lead the strike on the _Argo II_. Think about it; you'll be defending the king himself. He'll give you more freedom to do what you want if you do this in front of him."

"And what if Jason gets all the credit before I even do anything?" Thalia growled.

Jason shrugged. "I'll be getting the freedom, which automatically gives you freedom. You follow me everywhere, anyway."

He looked his sister right in the eye. "Let me do this, Thalia," he said in a low voice.

Something was communicated between them via sibling-link. Thalia finally relented. "Then let me come aboard. Clarisse can handle command for a while."

Jason nodded. "Fine."

"Then we have our decision," Percy said. "The Grace siblings will confront Leo head-on while Annabeth, Thalia's crew, and I wait in the harbor at the end of the month. Agreed?"

They all nodded. As the women left the cabin, Percy held Jason back and shut the door.

Percy lowered his voice. "Jason…from one friend to the other; I know what you're doing. And I'm pretty sure I know what you're going to do."

Jason nodded. "How long have you known?"

"Thalia told me."

"I can't tell my sister anything," Jason complained. "You can't stop me."

"I won't." Percy sighed. "But I hope you make the right decision in the end."

"I hope I do, too," Jason admitted. "With Thalia there, maybe I will. See you later."

Jason left the commodore's quarters. Percy watch him and Thalia board their respective ships briefly, then Thalia barked a few orders and hopped onto Jason's ship. Annabeth kissed Percy good-bye and boarded _The Silver Owl_. All three ships departed within minutes.

Grover sidled up to Percy quietly. "Sir? What's the plan?"

Percy turned to his best friend/first mate. "We return to the royal harbor with Annabeth and Thalia's crew. The Grace siblings will be confronting the _Argo II_ on the _Olympian_ alone. Set a course for the royal harbor."

Grover nodded and began ordering the crew around.

Percy sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He had failed to tell the others that there was another chasing down Valdez. The man was a wild card, but the king was desperate enough to hire him. Obviously, Jason knew of this wild card, regardless of Percy telling him.

Percy watched Jason's ship sail into the horizon. "Good luck, man," he wished on the wind.

* * *

"I thought the deal was I stay on the ship while you guys had a port call?" Calypso challenged.

Piper shrugged. "Leo said he knows how tough it is getting stuck in one place for a long time. He didn't want you to feel too much like a prisoner on a jail of a bigger scale."

_Funny that he used that wording_, Calypso thought.

The captain had not remembered their little exchange the night of the party (or he did and refused to talk about it). He'd woken up with a screaming headache and announced he wasn't feeling too well. Calypso learned that when he said that, no one would question him when he decided he didn't want to wear his joking mask. She didn't bring up his past again, to him or to Piper or Hazel.

Leo had been rather..._subdued_ since that last encounter. Instead of flirting, he was suddenly trying to be nice. Piper had joked that it was because of the time limit. Leo had even less time to work with to try and woo Calypso. She hadn't told anyone of her infatuation toward the captain, not even Leo himself. At first she tried to deny it, but with each passing day, the more Leo acted like himself toward her, the further she fell.

With only one month left on the ship, Calypso felt like she should be counting down days until she was free. Now, here she was, walking down the street with Piper, Hazel, and Frank. Frank still stayed close to the princess, mostly out of habit. She still trusted his judgment.

"Well," Calypso said, "I appreciate the concern. Where is your captain, anyway?"

"Buying some material," Hazel answered. "With all the treasure, what do you think we do with it? Waste it on land?"

Piper giggled. "Most of us buy random stuff, but Leo and the smiths hoard most of the treasure to buy materials. With said materials, they'll make traps, gadgets, and other things to please the thieves and non-smiths on board."

Suddenly, Frank froze. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and hissed, "Stop."

Everyone stopped. He stared forward, slowly clenching his fist, ready to pull out the sword.

Calypso followed his gaze and blinked.

Walking toward them down the street, in a very hurried way, were two naval captains Calypso knew as the Grace siblings. Jason's eyes were wide with alarm, and Thalia was following his brisk pace with a worried expression.

Jason reached them first. He bowed his head towards Calypso. "Your Highness," he said. "As much as it pains me to say this, you need to get back onto the _Argo II_."

Had she heard him right? Calypso was extremely confused. He was one of the captains in her father's navy. Why did he want her to go back to a pirate ship?

"Why?" Hazel asked, equally confused.

"Please understand," he pleaded to Calypso. "I'm not intending to be a traitor to the crown. But, what's going to happen is jeopardizing your safety, princess."

"What's going to happen?" Frank inquired.

Jason nodded toward the former naval sailor. "Octavian."

Frank visibly paled. "Not him. Is the king crazy?"

Calypso knew of Octavian. He was a mercenary for hire that _always_ completed a job, regardless of the casualties.

"He's been hired to intercept you," Thalia explained. "To kill everyone associated with the Hephaestus pirates, _especially_ Captain Valdez, his first mate, and the traitor Frank Zhang. Sorry."

Frank grunted uncomfortably. Jason clapped him on the shoulder. "You got balls, man," he said to the pirate. "Honestly, I get your reasoning. I'm afraid I'll have to face a similar situation soon."

"Pardon?" Calypso asked. "What do you mean?"

Jason smiled sheepishly. "Frank's not the only one with a pirate lover…I've been seeing this lovely lady since before she turned pirate a few years back."

"Who…?"

Calypso's eyes darted over to a very shy-looking Piper. She didn't even meet the princess's eye. Calypso whipped her head back and forth between Piper and Jason a few times, then facepalmed. "I swear to the gods," she muttered. "Is _everyone_ betraying my father lately for the life or love of a pirate?"

"I was thinking along those lines," Thalia said sympathetically. "I don't like what my brother is doing, but I don't have the heart to rat him out for it."

Calypso smiled at her. "Well, I thank you both for telling us about Octavian, anyway."

"There's no telling how merciful he'll be to you," Jason said. "Especially when you're dressed like that."

Thalia nodded. "We believe Octavian's orders were to kill all associated with Captain Valdez and to bring you back, but he might not plan on keeping you alive."

Calypso gulped. "Even though that would make my father angry, I'm afraid you're right. I wouldn't put it past Octavian to blatantly shrug off my father's orders for his own gain—"

A gunshot rang out, followed by a scream. Calypso's ice turned cold as she recognized it as Leo's scream.

The pirates, the princess, and the captains all darted down a street and headed to a downtown market. When they got there, they froze.

Leo was on the ground, squeezing a wound in his stomach with a bloody hand. A few of the other smiths that were with him were scattered on the ground, dead. None of them were people Calypso had gotten especially close to, but it still made her cringe.

Near one of the bodies, cleaning off his sword, was Michael Kahale. He was one of Octavian's partners, loyal to the mercenary to the bitter end. He actually resembled a much broader and taller version of Leo, only just a bit darker in complexion.

Octavian himself was on the other end of the market, holding a smoking pistol and looking smug. He was scarecrow-skinny, with thin blonde hair and icy eyes. He may look small and frail, but Calypso knew he was a dangerous man.

When he looked at the newcomers, he grinned evilly. "Well, well," he said. "Just who I was looking for! The most famous traitors and the hostage princess!"

Kahale strode over to Octavian, sheathed his sword and crossed his arms. Octavian gestured to Calypso with one hand after reloading his pistol. "Come here, Your Highness. Your presence is requested at your father's court."

Jason drew his sword and stood in front of Calypso. "You have no right to touch her, Octavian."

The mercenary shook his head, aimed his gun, and took a shot. The next thing Calypso saw was Jason collapsing to the ground, clutching his leg and screaming in pain. Thalia materialized next to him, trying to stop the bleeding.

"My orders, Captain Grace," he said with venom, "were to kill any associated with the Hephaestus pirates. If you had handed her over like a good little water dog, I wouldn't have mistaken you for a traitor to the crown. It's a shame how your loyalties shifted so suddenly."

Piper bent down next to Jason and started wrapping his wound up. Thalia glared at the mercenaries and spat, "You monster!"

Octavian snapped his fingers. Kahale walked over and drew his sword again. Within seconds, he was sprinting towards the group. Thalia drew her own sword and intercepted him.

Calypso watched in horror as the two duked it out. Octavian sneered and reloaded, aiming for the fighters.

Calypso was about to jump in and help, regardless of having no weapon, but Frank and Hazel held her back.

"This isn't your fight, princess," Frank said, his voice desperate. "Run with Hazel back to the ship. Piper will get Jason to come with us and I'll get the captain—"

Jason's cry split the air: "Thalia, watch out!"

A shot rang out. Calypso saw a blur of movement before the shot was fired. The two fighters froze and turned around. A figure was between them and Octavian. He had apparently blocked the shot from hitting Thalia or Kahale. Calypso felt tears in her eyes when it finally dawned on her who the figure was…

Captain Valdez staggered, his other hand clutching the new bullet wound in his shoulder. He let go of the stomach wound, pulled a pistol from his tool belt (Calypso didn't even know he had a gun in there) and aimed it at the mercenary.

Octavian froze, staring right at the pistol Leo was holding. "I shot you twice," he said in disbelief. He tried to reload quickly. "How are you still standing?"

Leo didn't reply. He pulled the trigger and shot Octavian in the chest. The mercenary's eyes widened in alarm and he yelled in pain. Kahale broke away from Thalia and ran for his partner.

Thalia ran forward and caught Leo, who was struggling to stay standing and had dropped his pistol. She turned her head toward Frank. "Get your big ass over here and carry your captain to safety," she ordered. "He's too heavy for me!"

Calypso had a hard time believing Leo was heavier than a child, but kept her mouth shut as Frank hurried forward, picked the pirate captain up, and gently cradled him in his arms. Bullets fell out of Leo's pockets as he was ushered away.

Thalia picked up Leo's fallen weapon and a stray bullet. She aimed it at Kahale, who was carrying Octavian in a similar manner. "Get my brother back to your ship," she shouted back to the group. "He needs help and his ship is too far. I'll hold off these two."

"No…" Jason groaned. "Thalia…they'll execute you…"

Thalia looked back with sad eyes. "But if they take you, they'll execute _you_. I won't let that happen. Go with Piper. Be happy with her. I'll be fine."

Kahale took Octavian's pistol and aimed it at Thalia. "You sure about that, traitor?"

Thalia growled, "Get out. _NOW_."

Piper helped Jason to his feet, with her and Hazel helping to steady him. Jason tried to protest, but still hobbled away with the girls. Calypso followed, casting one last glance at standoff. Both had determined eyes, neither one's hands were shaky.

The princess followed the group and hurried back to the ship. When they reached the dock, Calypso heard one last shot get fired. She tensed, waiting for a scream, but none came.

Whoever had gotten shot was now dead.

Calypso couldn't take the violence. She ran to the nearest pier and retched over the side.

Hazel had come for her after a few minutes and gently led her back onto the ship. Calypso leaned against the railing as the ship lurched out to sea. Crewmembers rushed around, trying to get the ship seaworthy. Calypso inquired about the rest of the crew that had gone into town. Hazel explained that this sort of situation could happen and that they knew to commendere a vessel and make their way to one of the pirate ports. Eventually the _Argo II_ would land there and they could jump back on.

When she asked about Leo, Hazel looked sad.

"He went into shock," she explained. "The doctors on board are doing all they can to help him and Jason, but…they aren't certain. Leo's been shot in two different areas and both are bleeding heavily…"

Calypso shook her head. "Don't you say it."

"They said he might not make it…" Hazel cried. Calypso broke down and joined her.

Watching someone die was one thing. Hearing the way they died was another.

But, losing someone you love in a way you can't control…it made Calypso want to die. She'd finally admitted to herself that she loved Leo not long ago, and now…

…now she was about to lose him.

* * *

**_A/N: Oh gods, what have I done D: Jason AND Leo are hurt!_**

**_And ha ha! I got Octavian AND Michael in there, as well as GROVER! Yes! I am good!_**


	5. The Healing, the Prisoner, & the Goodbye

_**Even shorter than the last one, but I think the others were really long because of all the explaining of each character. Anyway, this one still gets the job done.**_

_**Also, as I've stated in other stories: it seems I get more reviews when I hurt Leo. It hurts my heart to do that, but then again, I love writing suspenseful cliffies like that. Any who have read The Keys know exactly what I'm talking about.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

_Part Five_

_The Healing, the Prisoner, and the Goodbye_

Calypso couldn't bring herself to wait around for Leo to die. Within an hour, she went to the garden room on the ship, picked as many healing herbs as she could, and stormed into the infirmary.

After combining the herbs and arguing with the doctors about how the doses should work, Calypso finally got Leo stabilized. She opted to stay and watch over him while the doctors tended to the less seriously wounded Jason, who was being treated by Piper.

Heavy bandages wrapped around Leo's midsection and left shoulder. Some sort of tube filled with a liquid was injected into his arm. Calypso had been informed it was called an IV drip, something Captain Solace had invented but had yet to patent to the rest of the kingdom.

_If Leo survives this,_ Calypso thought,_ I'll invest in it when I get back home. I'll make sure doctors get this going. I don't care if Will works with pirates. This is genius._

She brushed a curl away from Leo's face. She didn't want him to die. She didn't want him to leave.

"How did this happen?" she asked herself. "How did I end up here? First I hated you…then I liked you as a friend…and now…now I don't want you to go without…"

She cried, bending down and laying her head on his good shoulder. "Please, Leo," she sobbed. "Please don't go…I…"

Calypso didn't care who was in the vicinity. She lifted her head, scooted forward more and kissed the captain full on the lips. A fire sparked in her heart and she desperately wanted him to kiss back.

When she broke apart from him, she examined his unconscious face. It seemed less pale than before, more colored or perhaps…flushed?

"I knew it."

Calypso whirled around and saw Piper standing in the doorway, a smug look on her face. "I knew you loved him," she said.

Calypso glared at her. "Now isn't the time to gloat, okay? Leo is dying."

Piper sat down next to her and smiled sadly. "I know. But he wouldn't want us mourning him too soon." She grinned. "Besides, I think he'll pull through. He's a strong guy with someone to live for."

"Don't you dare say a word," Calypso spat. "If word got out that I fell in love with an infamous pirate…"

Piper shrugged. "Jason and I weren't discovered. Who says anyone in high society has to know?"

"They'll figure it out."

"They never figured out my mother was married to Hephaestus."

That was true. Calypso was well-versed in the gossip strains of higher society. She knew the ins and outs of many rumors. But _no one_ had even known or suspected Queen Aphrodite had been married to the dread pirate Hephaestus, even if she would call it a mistake.

That brought out thoughts of marriage to Leo. Calypso thought about how he would act as a husband. Would he be good to her? Would he give up piracy for her? Would she give up her royal life for him? Would he be a good father?

_Get those thoughts out of your head,_ she scolded herself. _Get them out now._

Piper placed a hand on Calypso's shoulder. "I won't make fun of you for this," she told the princess. "I was just joking. Trying to lighten the mood. When Leo was hurt before, he woke up scolding us, saying we shouldn't mourn unless he was truly dead. If he was ever on a death bed, he wanted us to tell jokes in his honor."

Calypso smiled. "Good orders."

"I think many people in the crew respect him for it. He's faced death multiple times and he still puts a smile on his face. That's worth respect."

The princess nodded. "How's Jason?"

"He's fine. He'll be relying on a crutch for a while, but at least he won't lose his leg. He's worried about Thalia."

"He should worry about himself," Calypso said. "He's a fugitive now; a traitor, just like Frank."

"Not on purpose," Piper argued. "Octavian shot him and his ship was too far!"

"My father won't see it like that. But…" she bit her lip. "When I return to him, I'll do what I can to convince my father that Jason isn't a traitor. He'll have to come with me, but I think it'll be alright."

Piper looked a little crestfallen.

Calypso smiled at her. "If he doesn't want to return by the time the exchange happens, I won't force him. I was just trying to suggest _something_ in case he wished to remain in the navy."

"Thanks," Piper said, giving a little smile. "I'll go see Jason, now, and tell him."

When the pirate left, Calypso turned back to Leo. The captain was still unconscious. Calypso took his hand. "Get well soon, Leo," she murmured.

For a moment, she could have sworn she felt his hand's grip tighten. Just a little.

* * *

"The great and powerful _Thalia Grace_," the voice spat. "Always knew you'd end up here sooner or later."

The former captain scowled at the man in the cell next to hers.

Bryce Lawrence. A man so foul, with a sense of justice so twisted, even _Octavian_ didn't want him on his private team of mercenaries. He had been a rogue assassin-for-hire, killing anyone for a large enough sum of money. He'd recently gotten caught because he'd tried to kill the Ghost King. Nico proved too much of a challenge and delivered the half-dead assassin to Captain Solace, who turned around and gave him to the navy.

That had been five years ago.

"So, what are you in for?" Bryce said, his voice smooth. "Finally snapped and went rogue? Killed some officers for telling you what to do? Or did the king get fed up with your wild side?"

Thalia didn't even give him the pleasure of an answer. She would rather get her hanging over and done with, but because she was a direct traitor to the crown, the king would be present for her execution. The whole ordeal would be done at noon in three days' time.

"Tell me what you did and I'll leave you alone for a whole night," he prompted.

Thalia turned to the disheveled prisoner. "I shot Octavian in the face," she growled. "I was putting him out of his misery, since he'd already been shot."

Bryce's eyes lit up. "You got that sucker?" He bowed his head. "Respect to you, my dear. What of Michael?"

"Got a reward for turning me in. The minute I shot Octavian, he charged me and overpowered me. Got a hand it to him—that guy has some serious strength."

"True. Never ever ask that guy for an arm wrestle. You'll lose your dignity and your arm."

He was starting to get chummy, so Thalia turned away. She noticed another prisoner in the cell on her right. It was another female, though her attire suggested she wasn't into dresses.

She had long black hair and olive skin. She wore breeches, not a skirt, which made Thalia suspect she was probably a pirate. She looked familiar, but Thalia knew she'd never met the woman before.

Thalia scooted closer to the prisoner, ignoring the protests from Bryce for her to come back and talk with him.

"Hey," the former captain said. "What are you here for?"

The woman turned to look at her with dark eyes. They were ringing bells in Thalia's memory, but she still couldn't place it. "Had an issue with some marines. I'm part of an all-female hunt group. We work for and with a duchess hunting rare game and taking jobs as her private assassins and bodyguards. We only kill criminals, so no matter how much someone pays us, we only work for the duchess."

"Which duchess?"

"Her name is Artemis."

Thalia knew of Artemis. She was a famous duchess throughout the lands. She rather enjoyed outdoor activities more than fancy dresses and parties. It was true that she used highly trained female guards.

"What kind of trouble did you get into?" Thalia asked.

The woman smirked. "A marine got in my trainee's way when we were hunting a boar. It was his fault, getting in the way. I took the blame, since I was supervising. Been here for a few weeks, now, waiting for a verdict. I don't plan on being her much longer."

"Why?"

She grinned. "We don't always follow the rules." She stuck her hand through the bars. "Bianca."

"Thalia." They shook hands. "Pardon me for asking, but I feel like we've met before. Have we?"

"I get that a lot. My brother's rather famous. I'm older, but everyone thinks _I_ look like _him_."

"And your brother is…?"

"Nico di Angelo, the Ghost King."

Thalia sputtered. "You're _related_ to him!? I've only ever heard of his half-sister, Hazel!"

Bianca smirked. "I normally don't announce it to the world. I keep in touch with him well enough, though he never liked me joining Artemis's personal guard. We'd been together since our mother died, so when Artemis invited me to join, he took it really bad. Eventually he got over it."

Thalia nodded. "I get that. I've been with my brother for a long time."

"Grace, right?"

"Yup."

Bianca nodded. "You're pretty famous. I bet you anything Artemis would love to have you on her guard."

"Lot of good that'll do me now," Thalia muttered. "I'm about to be executed as soon as King Atlas arrives."

"Too bad," Bianca said. "Working for Duchess Artemis would give you full pardon for previous crimes. It's like a second chance, and has a lot of perks."

Bryce snorted behind Thalia. "Perks? Like getting your ass stuck in a jail cell? You've been in here a while, babe. Wouldn't a rescue have come _by now_?"

"Shut up," Bianca growled.

"Guess Miss Duchess didn't like you very much," he continued. "Or else she'd have gotten you out by now. Or were you waiting on your little brother to rescue you?"

Bianca glared at him. "Watch what you say, Lawrence."

He grinned. "Aw. Don't want me makin' fun of your baby bro? I hope he comes to rescue you; it'll give me a round two with that spooky pirate. I got a bone to pick with him."

"Sorry to disappoint you, then."

All three prisoners turned towards the entrance to the jail. A woman wearing clothes similar to Bianca stepped out of the shadows. She had dark brown eyes, a slightly upturned nose, and long, dark hair. Her copper-colored skin almost glowed in the slight candlelight. She seemed older than Bianca and Thalia by a few years.

"Zoe!" Bianca exclaimed. "You came!"

"I did," Zoe said with a smile. "Lady Artemis was devastated at the news of your arrest. And Phoebe was very upset at you taking the blame in her stead."

She produced a set of keys. "Time to go, Bianca."

She unlocked Bianca's cell and handed the younger woman a knife, a bow, and an arrow.

Bianca nodded and smiled. "Thank you for the rescue. If I may, I have two things to do. The first…" she gestured to Thalia. "I'd like to recommend Thalia Grace, former captain of King Atlas's Navy, to join the personal guard of Lady Artemis."

Zoe examined Thalia with narrowed eyes, then nodded. "Then we will take her with us. Her fate will be determined by Artemis."

She unlocked Thalia's cell. Bianca gave her the knife. "Welcome to the Hunters," she said with a grin.

Thalia nodded. "I owe Lady Artemis my life now. I'll do my best to please her."

Zoe smiled. "I already like you. " She looked back to Bianca. "What was your second agenda?"

Bianca notched an arrow and shot Bryce in the forehead. The late assassin slumped to the ground, the arrow sticking out of his head both ways.

Thalia laughed. "Fantastic."

"No one hurts my little brother," Bianca said emotionlessly.

* * *

Weeks passed. Jason healed up nicely, needing a cane only when he exerted himself too much. He and Piper had become inseparable, and their _secret_ relationship was now well-known. The Stolls had gotten their hands on a newspaper during the _Argo_'s last raid. It had said that Jason was now a traitor with a bounty on his head, was going out with a Hephaestus pirate, and had a fugitive sister who had recently broken out of jail after shooting Octavian dead.

Leo also got better, though he was much more dependent on a cane. One of his arms was in a sling to take the pressure off of his healing shoulder and his stomach was still wrapped. The bandages had to be changed every few hours, so Leo usually just went around shirtless with a jacket over his shoulders.

The doctors had ordered him to not do any heavy work—or _any_ work—until everything was healed up. Needless to say, he was _very_ bored most of the time.

So, he decided to hang out in the botany room with Calypso. She tried to act annoyed at his very presence, but having him around made her feel complete. When the doctors took him away to change his bandages, her heart nearly broke. Almost losing him had shattered her, and she never wanted to lose him again…yet she never admitted to anyone but Piper how in love with the captain she was. She wouldn't even say it to him.

But now…

Today was the day Calypso would return home. Today, she would be leaving Leo behind. She would trade the comfort that the _Argo II_ had provided for the stress and responsibility of her royal life.

She wondered when she'd started thinking of the pirate ship as a comfortable place.

Calypso stood at the bow, stroking the mechanical dragon figurehead, Festus. She watched as they began to pull into the royal harbor, flanked by _The Lightning Hunter_ and _The Silver Owl_. _Poseidon's Storm_ was anchored at the docks already, with Commodore Jackson standing on the dock with the king himself.

Atlas did not look very thrilled. Even from far away, Calypso could see the scowl. She didn't want to return to that man, but she had no choice. She was a princess. It was her duty.

They pulled in and the gangplank was lowered. The entire crew was on deck to see her off.

Calypso walked up to Frank and hugged him. "Take care, Frank," she said. "Thanks for your service."

Frank nodded and saluted one last time. "My pleasure, princess."

Calypso nodded to the Stolls, Jake, Nyssa, and Harley. She hugged Hazel and Piper, and asked Jason if he would like to try for a pardon. He politely refused and also gave her a salute.

Finally, she met Leo at the top of the gangplank. He looked sad, but tried to hide it behind a stunning grin.

"Hey, _princesa_," he said. "I guess it's time to say goodbye."

"I guess so," Calypso said smoothly.

He held out his hand (the one not in a sling). "Then I must say _adios_, Calypso. It was a pleasure escorting you. But, there's still the matter of the deal we made."

"Yes there is," she said.

"So…what's the verdict?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Before he could say anything more, and before Calypso could hesitate, the princess grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him. The fire in her grew to intense levels, and when he kissed back her heart soared. They broke apart quickly—too quickly for Calypso.

She sniffed and lifted her head. "That didn't happen," she said.

"Okay." Leo's voice was an octave higher, and his face was blank with astonishment.

Calypso began to walk away. "I don't love you, Captain Valdez," she lied. "But I thank you for taking care of me while you _escorted_ me home. So, may your travels be safe."

"Okay."

Calypso turned and began walking down the gangplank. The sailors on the dock began to salute as she descended. Her father waited, his head high.

Calypso was almost down, when she heard a shrill whistle. She turned around just in time to catch a flying object before it hit her face.

In her hands were the goggles Leo had always been wearing. The very goggles he held on to dearly because they were the only remnant of his mother left in the world.

"A deal's a deal," Leo called. "You won, Calypso. The goggles are yours!"

He bowed.

Everything was a big blur after that. Calypso was led to a golden carriage. She didn't even hear her father as he scolded her for being held hostage by the pirates before ordering around his officers. She kind of registered the amazing amount of money getting hauled onto the _Argo II_. Before she knew it, her father was in the carriage with her again and they were driving away. She watched through the back window of the carriage as the _Argo II_ sped out of the harbor, outdistancing the two flanking naval ships.

Calypso looked down at the goggles in her hand, gently fingering the rims.

She missed Leo already…

* * *

**_A/N: One more chapter left, I do believe._**

**_Like what I did with Bryce and Bianca? I NEVER said I would make Bianca dead in this AU. And there was NO WAY Thalia would stay in the navy, so I had to incorporate the hunters in here somewhere :3_**


	6. The Goggles, the Rose, & the End

_**Sorry for the wait. Got a lot going on.**_

_**Well, this is it. The last chapter. It goes by pretty fast, but I managed to get it sizable with descriptions. I realize the Caleo is a bit disconnected here, but that's just how it is.**_

_**I own nothing you recognize as canon.**_

* * *

_Part Six_

_The Goggles, the Rose, and the End_

"Show us!"

"Come on, please!"

Calypso rolled her eyes. She was sitting at a lovely table while others danced. It was a ball to celebrate the princess' return. Every rich lord, count, duke, king, queen, etc. had been invited. Her father sat on his throne at the head of the room, watching her. She knew he was making sure she wouldn't run away. He'd already accused her of wanting to _elope_ with Captain Valdez, of all things!

There were many guards here. Atlas had announced it was for the safety of those present, but Calypso knew they were there to make sure she didn't run off. She felt the urge to try, just to give them something to do…

The ladies surrounding her were mostly princesses and daughters of royal blood. Only one was sitting down with her, and that was Princess Silena, the daughter of Aphrodite in training to become queen. Her half-sisters, Drew and Lacy, along with a few other ladies like one named Gwen, stood in a tight semi-circle around Calypso.

"Please let us see them," Lacy begged.

"Why do you want to see them anyway?" Calypso asked. "They're just a pair of goggles."

"But they're _his_ goggles," Gwen fawned. "Captain Valdez _himself_ gave them to you!"

Calypso took out the goggles Leo had given her from her handbag. She took them everywhere she went, despite her father's wishes. The girls all went ga-ga for them, desperately wanting a good look.

Lacy sighed happily. "I can't believe you met _the_ Captain Valdez! He's so dreamy!"

_If scrawny and obnoxious is your idea of dreamy_, the princess thought. She didn't want to ruin their vision of him. No one would believe her, anyway. Might as well let them hang on to their fantasy. "Whatever you say."

Silena smiled. "Why do you keep them, anyway?"

"Perhaps I'd like a reminder that all that happened wasn't a nightmare," Calypso said.

The daughter of Queen Aphrodite gave her a knowing look. "Sure."

Calypso knew she could sense her feelings for the pirate captain. Silena was always good at that sort of thing.

Lacy snatched the goggles away and all the girls flocked to them, oogling at them. Before Calypso could take them back, Silena grabbed her arm.

"Walk with me," she said, leading Calypso away. "They'll be distracted with their fantasies for a good ten minutes."

The princesses walked around the room, ignoring the dancers and guards. After a few moments, Silena said, "You've changed."

"Excuse me?" Calypso asked.

"You heard me. Before this whole fiasco happened, you would have been craning your neck to get a good look at those goggles. You would have fantasized about how handsome the owner was. Now…" She smiled. "Now you keep looking into the distance, like you're not really here."

She took Calypso's hand. "You really _love_ him, don't you?"

"No." It was a defensive response. Automatic. Calypso had been asked this so many times by suspecting family members that it was the only word they would listen to.

Silena wasn't impressed. "Let me tell you a story: Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there was a princess. She had many suitors run after her because of her beauty, but only one caught her attention. It was a pirate. He was the captain of a huge ship, very impressively-skilled in his trade as a blacksmith, and very modest and handsome. The princess and the pirate fell in love, and they wished to be together always."

"You're getting it wrong," Calypso huffed. "Valdez wasn't handsome." _He was gorgeous._ "He wasn't modest, either." _He was insecure and shy._ "And we didn't wish to be together always" _But we were in love, even if I never told him the truth._

"But one day," Silena continued. "Something terrible happened. The pirate and his first mate were strolling about a plaza, in search for new materials for the ship the first mate was building. The royal navy came and tried to arrest them. They escaped and tried to commandeer a ship so they could get back to their own. The Navy expected that and stocked the ship, beforehand, with explosive materials. When the captain and his first mate were out far enough, the Navy fired on them and blew the ship up. The first mate survived. The captain—the princess's _true love_—didn't."

Calypso stared at her, jaw agape. "That…that wasn't Leo and I you were talking about…It was…"

"I was devastated when I learned the news of Charles Beckendorf's death," Silena said sadly. "I know he was Hephaestus's son—and yes, I know of my mother's secret marriage—but I didn't care. I loved him. I thought that once I became queen, I could pull any string I wanted to pardon Charlie. But…I never got the chance. Maybe if I had been with him and eloped when we met, things might have been different. Charlie might be alive and Leo might still be his first mate."

Calypso remembered Piper telling her of Leo getting severely injured in the same explosion that had killed Beckendorf. "What are you getting at, exactly?"

Silena smiled. "Nothing, really. Just that…isn't it better to follow your heart than to get stuck doing something you'll regret for the rest of your life? I chose to follow in my mother's footsteps _after_ Charlie died, because I had no other alternative—I had no one else to go to. You, Calypso—you have a chance, still."

"Don't say things like that."

"But it's true. Calypso, tell me really; where do you feel more at home—here in false happiness and surrounded by guards, or among the friends and happy faces on the ship?"

Calypso felt tears well up in her eyes. She hated Silena so much for her intuitiveness. "I don't want to talk about this."

Silena smiled and patted Calypso on the arm. "I know. But I figured you _needed_ to hear it. I lost my chance. I don't want you to lose yours."

Calypso nodded. "Well…thank you. And yes…I _do_ miss them. More than I missed…"

She looked at the group of girls still fawning over Leo's goggles.

"Pardon me, ladies," a smooth voice said behind Calypso. "But would it be too much trouble for a dance?"

Calypso turned and held back a gasp. Standing before her were two figures she recognized: Captain William Solace and his first mate, Dakota the Drunk!

She resisted the urge to hug them. "What are you two doing here?"

William flashed her a shining grin. "We were invited. We're privateers, the best in the 'biz, and _someone_ did recommend my product to the royal doctors. That got me in good standing with the blue bloods. Wonder who did that?"

"No idea," Calypso said. "This is Princess Silena. Silena, this is Captain William Solace and his first mate, Dakota."

Both men bowed and Silena curtseyed.

Dakota held out his arm. "Shall we, m'lady?" His voice was much smoother than last time, and he actually looked proper.

Calypso took his arm as Will led Silena away on to the dance floor. When both couples got situated, Calypso asked, "Why would you ask _me_ to dance?"

Dakota smiled. "Wouldn't want the captain to look _too_ full of himself, asking the lady of the party to dance. The first mate makes it look much more natural, don't you think?"

Calypso rolled her eyes. "It's odd to see you so sober."

"I clean up rather well, don't I?" He shrugged. "I do miss having a beer in my hand, though. Will says I can't touch a drop of alcohol while on duties like this. Shame, really, but I get where he's coming from. My usual self is a little too high maintenance for this crowd."

They danced around for a good few minutes before the music ended. Dakota bowed, Calypso following the gesture with a curtsey. When they rose again, the first mate of _Apollo's Sun_ pulled a plainly-wrapped box.

"The second reason I asked you to dance," he said. "The guards don't bother checking the drunken first mate for secret presents."

Calypso took the small box. "What is it?"

"That ruins the surprise."

"Who's it from?"

Dakota smiled and bowed, beginning to walk away. "Why don't you open it and find out?"

He disappeared into the crowd before Calypso could ask him more. For a normally-drunk slob, the man moved like a fox.

She moved to the powder room and locked the door, ignoring the glances from the guards. When she was certain no one would interrupt, Calypso opened the box.

Inside held two items. The first was a note that read:

_Dear Calypso,_

_It's Piper. Hope you're doing well. Most of us on the _Argo II_ are. Jason is fitting in well, and already has earned the trust of most of the crewmembers. Hazel and Frank are even closer now. I swear those two are more lovestruck than Jason and I, and that's saying something!_

_There's something you should know. It's about Leo. His condition worsened and he fell ill. It doesn't help that he's been down since you left._

_Calypso. He loves you. He's hurting because you left. I'm not trying to get you to come back, but I just thought you should know how hard he's taking it. Before he…gods, I can't even say it, but before he needed to go back into the infirmary, he secretly made you this._

_Press the bottom thorn—the biggest one._

_Yours truly,_

_Piper, daughter of Tristan and Queen Aphrodite_

_PS: Please write back. I know you'll find a way to dodge your father!_

Calypso set the letter down and looked at the second item from the box. She gasped.

* * *

_Weeks before the ball_

Piper was at a loss. The moment they had lost sight of the Royal Port, Leo had broken down. He allowed Hazel to take over as captain, and Hazel asked Jason to help her in some areas.

Leo refused to let anyone into the engine room. When Piper yelled at him to come out, he banged away at something inside, drowning her out. When she tried to get the Stolls to pick the lock, Leo blocked the doors. The crew was feeding off of his depression, and they didn't feel very happy now. Everyone was down in the dumps, hoping Leo would get out of his rut soon.

Piper was determined to help him. She went to the back entrance near her room and began to pick the lock. Frank was behind her, as well as Jason and Hazel. The moment the lock was picked, Piper stepped aside. Frank and Jason pushed the door with all their might, opening it inch-by-inch. When enough space opened up, Piper squeezed by and dragged Jason in with her. Jason began pulling the barricade—multiple tables and heavy inventions—out of the doorway. Eventually, all four of them were inside.

Abandoned inventions were piled around the room, collecting dust. The primary engine light was dim and low. Empty rum bottles were carelessly lying about the room, some broken, most intact, all empty.

Piper finally spotted Leo's slumped form. He was lying on his side, unconscious. His hair was disheveled and he had stubble on his jaw and upper lip. His eyes were sunken in, and his face was gaunt. Sickness radiated from him.

Piper saw that his bandages were no longer white. They weren't even red. They were almost black.

"Leo!" she called, rushing to his side. "Leo. Please wake up!"

The captain groaned and opened a bloodshot eye. It was hazy, like he was still sleeping.

Hazel was suddenly helping him sit up. "Leo, come on. Get up," she urged. "We need to take you to the doctors."

Leo shook his head. "No," he rasped. "Leave me be."

"Your wounds opened up," Piper said. "And you're very sick. You need help."

"No," he repeated, his voice weaker. "I…I c-can't live…like this…"

"No you can't," Hazel scolded. "Frank, get over here and carry him."

When the former naval sailor tried to pick Leo up, the captain struggled. He tried to crawl away, tears forming in his eyes. "Leave me alone to die," he sobbed.

Piper went over to him and held his hand. "Never, Leo. You need help. You need to be healed. The doctors will heal you."

He looked at her with a shattered expression. "They can't heal me," he growled. "No one can."

Piper suddenly realized her captain wasn't just suffering from external injuries. The look in his eyes told her his heart was broken. "Oh, Leo," she said softly. "Don't do this to yourself because of her."

"Go away," he snarled. He coughed suddenly, hacking up blood.

"No," she told him. "Leo, you need to come upstairs with us. You'll feel better after you get a proper night's sleep."

He gave her a long, sad look. "Pipes," he said, his voice shaking. "Why does it hurt so much…? Why did the happiest feeling I've had since my mother died…destroy me when she left?"

Piper kissed him on the forehead. "It's how you know it's real, Leo. But it's not like she died. She's still alive."

"But she's in a completely different world now," he protested, his eyelids getting droopier by the second.

"It's not as if you can't try to contact her," she said. "Even if she didn't love you by the end of the voyage, who's to say you can't win her over through letters? It might have been good-bye, Leo, but it's not the end."

Leo sobbed a few more times, like he had tried to find another point to argue with. In the end, he choked and fell unconscious again. Frank walked over, picked up the captain, and slowly made his way out of the room. Jason followed, looking at Leo very sadly.

Hazel hovered over one of the desks—Leo's personal desk. She picked up what looked like a flower. "What is this?"

Piper moved closer and gazed at the flower. It was a bronze rose, with gold-trimmed petals and gold-tipped thorns. She had never seen a more beautiful creation. It had to have been made by Leo.

"He made this for her," Piper assessed.

Hazel pulled out a piece of paper from under a half-full rum bottle. "It's the design," she informed Piper. "And it's titled _Sunshine's Rose_. He always called Calypso Sunshine, so it's definitely for her."

Piper looked sadly at the rose. "He must have finished it. And now he feels she'll never see it."

Hazel's eyes filled with tears. "I wish he wouldn't do that to himself. He's a good-hearted man, a kind man. There are few good men who are pirates. Leo's going off the deep end. I'm worried he'll emerge from this too broken and he'll go insane. I'm terrified all this pain will turn him into a terrible man…"

Piper hugged her friend and first mate. "We'll be there for him every step of the way. We'll all make sure he stays healthy."

She held up the rose. "And I'm going to make sure Calypso knows about Leo's creation."

"How?"

Piper smiled. "We've got some great friends. I'm sure I can pull some strings."

* * *

_A few days after the ball_

Calypso twirled the bronze and gold rose in her hand gently. She'd pressed the bottom thorn like Piper had instructed and something extraordinary had happened.

The petals had folded into themselves and opened back up moments later, revealing a beautiful sapphire. A soft melody played, and at the end of it, the rose closed and opened again to look as it did before.

Calypso cried every time she pushed the thorn. The song was sweet, reminding her of her childhood and her times with Piper on the _Argo II_. Memories of hanging out with Katie in the botany rooms on the ship, eating with Piper and Hazel in the galley, and even the ones of Calypso confronting Leo when he was drunk and sad…they all bombarded her when the rose began to play.

She missed her friends—her _true_ friends. Not the ones who gossiped and giggled at ridiculous rumors. Not the ones who only liked her because of her money. The ones who had grown on her. The ones who had weaseled their way into her heart. The grungy blacksmiths, the acrobatic thieves, the former naval sailors, the freed slaves…and the captain who led them all. _Especially_ him.

Calypso sighed and looked about her room. No expense had been too extreme for the _precious_ daughter of Atlas. Everything was lined in silver and gold. Laced pillows adorned her bed on top of delicate silky sheets and thick blankets.

All Calypso could think about was how it could use a bit more _bronze_. She missed the gears, the tools, and the greasy smell. She missed how there were no rules of tidiness, no need to excessively clean.

She missed being free.

Calypso wondered when she had reversed her situation. When the Hephaestus pirates had first captured her, she had felt like a prisoner. But now that she was back with her father, she felt even more trapped than before. That was when she realized how free she had really been. Here, she had to do things _properly_ and like a _lady_. She couldn't be sassy or speak out of term. She wasn't allowed to run around or get dirty.

But on the _Argo II_, she did things the way she wanted. It didn't matter that she could burp better than Jake Mason, or that she got dirty every day gardening with Katie. She didn't have to get up insanely early. She would speak her mind to anyone and hold a proper argument. When she was with the pirates, she did things because she _wanted_ to, not because she was _expected_ to do them.

Calypso took out a piece of paper and began to scribble something down. When she was done, she got a few essentials ready and placed them into a small bag. She left many dresses behind, as well as most of her jewels. She took some riches just so she could afford what she was about to do.

* * *

"Calypso," King Atlas called. "Open this door. I need to talk to you."

There was no answer. The king beat harder on the door to his daughter's room. "I am losing my patience, dear," he growled. "I need to speak with you. It's about rearranging your meeting with your betrothed."

He paused, waiting for a response. When there was none, he jiggled the handle, finding it unlocked. He entered without announcing himself.

Calypso was not in her room. Atlas furrowed his brow. He looked into her walk-in closet but did not find her there. When he passed her desk, he frowned, noticing a piece of paper. He read the contents.

_My dear father,_

_I know you mean well. I know you want me to do what's best for the country, but here's the thing. I don't care. Even before the whole pirate fiasco, I was convinced I would not enjoy an arranged marriage. I know that it would be better for the kingdom, but I have plenty of sisters whose lives you can ruin instead. I want no part of it anymore. Maybe that makes me a coward for not facing my 'duty', but I really don't care._

_Yes, you were right—I do love Captain Leo Valdez. I'm going to him now, in case you're wondering. Try and stop me, because I'm fairly confident none of your officers or ships could hold a candle to the _Argo_._

_I'm not coming back. I'm free when I'm with Leo. I never wish to return to your birdcage, father. Ever._

_Sincerely,_

_Calypso_

_P.S: I took some jewels for funding. Guess that makes me a thief, just like Piper. You always said she was a bad influence, didn't you?_

Atlas tore apart the letter and threw the pieces around the room in anger. He howled in rage and stormed out of the room.

* * *

_A few days later_

Piper was more than thrilled when Calypso appeared out of nowhere. She was in regular clothes, acting casual as Piper and Hazel explored the market. The ladies were buying some fresh fruit and seeds. The seeds were for Katie and the gardeners. The fruit was for Leo.

The captain was confined to the infirmary, but ever since the first night, he'd been in a better mood. The doctors said he was suffering from a combination of insomnia, starvation, and alcohol poisoning, along with a bout of depression. The first three things were fixable, but the depression wouldn't be easy to cure.

Leo _was_ in better spirits, though, so that was a good thing. He was smiling and joking around, though most of it didn't reach his eyes. Piper thought it was at least an improvement. There would usually be someone to keep him company during the day, but the doctors had warned not to keep a 24 hour watch, for it might make him feel worse.

What Piper was hoping to see was Calypso, so she could make him feel better. So, when she saw her friend, the pirate was more than thrilled.

"Calypso!" she squealed, running up and hugging her. "You came!"

The princess nodded. "When I read your letter, I realized where I was needed most. And I do need to return something to Captain Valdez. Is he still ill?"

"He's a little better now that he's gotten rest," Hazel explained.

"What was wrong?" Calypso asked.

Hazel and Piper explained a little bit on their way back to the ship. Calypso looked devastated at Leo's depression, and walked a little faster. She then explained that she no longer was a princess and had relinquished her title to become a pirate like Piper. The girls were thrilled.

When they reached the ship, Calypso was welcomed with great reception. Connor Stoll paid Travis a couple coins, mostly because he had bet she wouldn't return, while Travis bet the opposite. Harley hugged her. Jason and Frank were very happy to see their former princess.

Calypso entered the infirmary. Leo was fast asleep. Piper watched as Calypso walked over and gently shook the captain awake. He opened his eyes groggily. When he finally registered Calypso in the room, his eyes lit up and he grinned—it was the most real grin Piper had seen him wear in a long time.

Calypso smiled and kissed him on the lips. When they broke, she handed him his goggles and said, "I believe these belong to you…_Captain Hot Stuff_."

* * *

_One year later_

Commodore Percy Jackson linked arms with his wife, Annabeth. He was currently on paternity leave, rocking their daughter, Lacy, gently in her basket as they walked. All of them were enjoying a vacation, strolling lazily down a market port.

Suddenly, a large ship caught his eye. It was a dark shadow on the horizon, with smoke rising from it. He knew that ship anywhere—it was the _Argo II_!

Annabeth had seen it, too. "Looks like they're shopping," she commented.

"We're off duty," Percy said with a shrug. "Besides, you know they don't cause trouble on land."

She didn't comment further.

A few minutes later, Percy saw them.

Captain Valdez was carrying a butt-load of metal and tools, grinning like a madman, as usual. He was talking a mile a minute to his companion—wait.

Percy did a double-take. The person walking beside him, carrying gardening supplies, was Princess Calypso! Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she was now wearing an outfit similar to Hazel's from a year ago, only among her bronze plates were sapphires and floral designs. She was smiling like she was half-annoyed, with an eye-roll that confirmed the emotion.

They both looked content and happy, and Percy was surprised at how different the former princess was. She was relaxed now, carefree.

He smiled and looked at his wife. Annabeth hadn't noticed them. Percy turned back to the couple and watched as they walked away, as close to each other as possible.

A couple wanted posters were stuck to a wall nearby. Percy saw the usual faces: Captain Leo Valdez with no current picture—somehow they couldn't be obtained; Nico di Angelo with his creepy looks; Jason Grace, with the poster using his old naval picture.

And the newest addition. Percy read that one with amused interest.

**_WANTED_**

**_DEAD OR ALIVE_**

**_Calypso Valdez_**

"What are you looking at, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked, taking Lacy out of the basket and rocking her.

"Nothing," he said. "Let's go somewhere else. This market smells too much like dead fish."

The Jackson family left the market and the pirates behind, content with letting them go without any confrontation.

_***~Captain Hot Stuff~***_

**_*~The End~*_**

* * *

**_A/N: And DONE!_**

**_Phew, that was pretty long, but worth it, right? Once again, sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoyed this. I'll probably use the OSC to give you random peeks into this AU. Until then, this is all you get!_**

**_Til next time, guys! :)_**


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